


Heartsick

by Lafeae



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Slice of Life, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-05-02 12:57:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 44,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14545254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafeae/pseuds/Lafeae
Summary: The Kaiba’s are older. Mokuba is out of the house at college and dating, much to Seto’s dismay. The four-year relationship Seto has with Joey is on-again, off-again, almost weekly.But sudden illness strikes Seto, and Joey takes on the service of his caretaker, even as Seto refuses to accept that anything is wrong, and forbids Joey from telling anyone—Mokuba included.Mokuba, at the same time, has his own pack of secrets stored away, telling only Joey the whole truth and begging him not to tell Seto.Quickly, Joey is stuck between between his love and his loyalty, hoping he doesn’t lose one—or both—in the process.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray back into fan fiction writing in about five years or so. I hope it goes well. Enjoy.

The dinner hadn't been Kaiba's idea. It was goaded on by Joey via his sister Serenity. And it had been suggested after a particularly bitter moment. It never matter how much Kaiba mentioned to Joey that work came before pleasure, they always ended up yelling at each other, throwing insults, and refusing to speak to one another until something other than themselves mended their meltdown with logic. Which so happened to be Serenity this time. She sent a message to Isono, who passed it on to Kaiba at what was likely deemed an appropriate time. And the stipulation Kaiba made was that he chose the restaurant.

When he was shown to the table and seated, the other three had already made it ahead of him. Joey, with his sister, Serenity, beside him, and Duke Devlin sitting elbow to elbow with him, much to his annoyance. He shifted ever so slightly away from Duke, and feigned the need for more room. He could feel Joey drilling a hole into his forehead across the table. As the executive sat and tried to order wine, Joey rambled at him. 

"You’re wasting your breath. I’m not listening," Kaiba said, finally giving his boyfriend the time of day. Joey’s shoulder dropped and his mouth crooked from side to side.

"I said: ya decided to show up late, huh?"

"Not late; I'm on time."

A snort from Joey as he crossed his arms. Kaiba wasn't about to compliment the suit he picked out. The steel grey color actually did wonders for him; it made his hazel eyes stand out. "And if it were me, you'd be bustin' my balls for it."

"Because you are consistently late," said Kaiba. "It's a miracle that you weren't late today, Joseph."

A wave of the hand from Joey, leaning one arm back over the chair as he pushed it out. And suddenly the suit made him look like a tool. The ever back and forth of their (what some would classify) rocky relationship. But they were still sitting across from one another in a restaurant, which was more than could be said about the entirety of the rumours that circulated them. "So now you're gonna tell me if you were late it's 'fashionably late?" Joey said, a sneer following the comment.

The glass of wine was delivered with haste, with Kaiba more than happy to take to in the midst of the conversation.

"I thought this was supposed to be a date," chided Serenity, touching her brother's hand to try and calm him with a smile.

Joey shrugged and sighed. His expression relaxed as he gazed across to Kaiba, finally managing a grin and taking his own drink. "It's a date, I'm just havin' fun doin' what he always does to me. Nice to have the tables turned once an' a while."

"Don't get used to it."

"Will you two just stop it!" Duke sighed, exasperated. "Please, for everyone's sanity."

Kaiba smirked, exchanging glances with Joey in their shared enjoyment. The blond leaned forward, back down to the menu in front of him and knocking his head side to side. "So...you uh, talk to Mokuba today?" Joey asked.

"Always. Everything's fine with him. He plans of coming back in a few weeks, he says."

Joey nodded. "You're not hoarding him. I want 'em, too."

The menu was glossed over, picked at, thought ultimately Kaiba knew what he wanted. He was a creature of habit, and this was the same place he always ended up suggesting. And Joey, in his hate for wearing a suit anywhere, sucked it up and went. He would never admit it, but Kaiba imagined it was more or less a constant spot for the pair, the way that Joey would always talk about the food. Which prompted Kaiba to buy him several suits. Some for the galas, some for the dinners, and just because it was nice to see him dressed well.

"I want to see you fight me over him," Kaiba quipped. "I guarantee you'd lose."

"Oh, you're on, Seto You're so on."

There was a twitch of expression Kaiba made that Joey felt privy to. Playful and coy, quickly vanishing before Serenity could catch it while she turned to squeeze Joey's hand again. It was their kind of banter that made them compatible enough. It was the same kind of banter that caused fights, too, but while others saw them as on-again, off-again, there was a certain nature to their biting affection that was like a gravitational pull.

And the four of them spoke freely, Kaiba allowing for the others to keep up with a prior conversation, contributing only minimally, waiting for their dinner to arrive. There was more the enough discomfort in the double-date setting, with his words clipped and his mind wandering to more fruitful ventures, trying not to focus on the dull headache behind his eyes. There was always a distraction, even in the constant ping of conversations that echoed in the high ceiling room.

It was just as hard to focus once dinner arrived, and it gave them all something to politely go quiet over, though by that point, Serenity had taken up most of the conversation, going over wedding plans. Her occasional grip of Joey's shoulder or stroke of Duke's hand aiding what she said. And still, Joey played the protective older brother, ready to threaten Duke at a moment's notice.

"So..you guys..?" Serenity asked, leaning her head against Joey's shoulder.

"Oh no...not talkin' about this..."and he suddenly became interested in the other side of the room. Even if Serenity was leaning along with him, biting her lip and clenching her fists against against her chest.

"You and Mokuba would be the first people know about anything of that sort." Kaiba finally responded, before Serenity pushed Joey out of his chair.

Though, as he spoke, the siblings stared at him, unlistening, with their faces drooped in shock. Joey stood up, with a napkin clutched in his hand, trying to reach over before going around the table. "What? I can't have possibly offended you two somehow?"

"Are you okay?" Serenity asked, and Joey was by Kaiba's side with the napkin, a mother hovering over a child, trying to put it against his face.

It was then that Kaiba felt it. His hand reached up, smearing what he thought was a runny nose with the butt of his palm and looking down to the streak of red across it. Joey hovered, though Kaiba pushed him away and made a barrier with his arm. "Your nose if bleedin'. I'm just tryin' to help..."

"You think I don't know that?" Kaiba retorted, sharp.

Grabbing his own napkin, the wine glass upended, cracking against a plate and spilling out just as Kaiba went to stand. The waiter was by in an instant, though Kaiba kept his head bowed and pushed his way past Joey to try and find some place of privacy.

Not that a men's room was really private.

It gave him time to look at himself as he washed off his hands, and he inspected the smear of blood that he had wiped across his cheek. Like some kind of cheap paint. It didn't feel real, especially as the blood had stopped as soon as it had started.

The door swung opened. Kaiba splashed water on his face. "Seto?"

The sound of his name on Joey's lips made him body melt and freeze at the same time. His fists clenched on the sides of the sink, swinging his head side to side to make sure there wasn't anyone else in the room. "Seto? Are you okay?"

Another hand on his shoulder, bringing it up to Joey's just for the touch, and looking to the pair of them side by side in the mirror.

It was blurry.

One blink. Two. It didn't quite go away.

"You hear me? Are you okay?"

His fists clenched. "I don't know."


	2. The Downs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We venture forward.

“You said you weren’t okay,” Joey said.

“I said ‘I don’t know’. It was in the moment; I’m perfectly fine now,” Kaiba retorted. He seemed far more interested in tearing off the button-up and throwing it onto the bed than the actual conversation at hand. The remnants of the sudden nosebleed at dinner were two small droplets on the collar. To Joey, the stain was hardly noteworthy on the whole of the shirt, considering how lucky Kaiba was that it hadn’t hit the white suit jacket instead.

Joey replied: “Well, that should be enough. Ya think there’s somethin’ wrong then maybe you should go to a doctor.”

“I’m fine. I have said it half a dozen times between you, your sister, and Devlin. I. Am. Fine. Let it go.”

Kaiba strode the length of the bedroom, toe to heel, as if he was testing something while he watched himself walk. “You look like you’ve jus’ been pulled over. Ya want me to get a flashlight, see if you’re drunk? You had one glass of wine and spilled half of it.”

A small hiss from Kaiba, which the Joey took as a mention to hush. His whole body sagged as he sighed. He wanted to leave. He had work in the morning. His concern for Kaiba was trumping that, waiting for an absolute answer to all the commotion. He wanted to believe that his lover was alright. That it was just dry air or Kaiba was overworking himself.

“It’s gettin’ late. I need to get some sleep; you really need to get some sleep, too, a’right? You say you’re fine? Fine. Whatever,” Joey said as he turned to leave, hand dangling on the door handle.

A pale hand swooped in to cover the blond’s, commanding: “Wait.”

“What ‘wait’? I’m still mad at you, just so ya know.”

A hand caressed at the nape of Joey’s neck, with a soft kiss planted on his lips. Even in his anger, Joey didn’t pull away, though his fingertips planted on Kaiba’s chest to try and keep distance between them. When they broke, and Joey sucked in a cold breath, his head leaned on Kaiba’s shoulder.

“I would be surprised if you weren’t, pup.”

A snort from Joey when he felt Kaiba’s hands wrap around his waist and pull their bodies together. Joey said: “Don’t think we’re doin’ anything tonight. ”

“Mm.”

“Only in your dreams.”

Joey could feel the laughter deep in Kaiba’s chest. Sardonic with bass. The kind of laughter that only Kaiba would only share with himself. Reluctantly, to prove a point, Joey pushed off of the brunet and walked backwards, inching out the door and winking before finally closing it.

Once separated, it felt like fallout. Both sighed; both collapsed into themselves. Kaiba onto the bed and pulling his laptop from the nightstand; Joey in the car with his hands at his face, hiding the redness in his cheeks. He wanted to kiss and make up, like Kaiba tried without words.

Kaiba told himself that it had worked. He wasn’t looking for anything more than the kiss. It still tasted sweet.

They could both agree on that.

—

“I don’t know what to do with the bastard, sis. I don’t. He jus’...makes me so mad sometimes,” Joey said. Three days later, and he was still bitter. He was driving home from work, looking at the mechanic’s in the rear view, the sunset washing over his dashboard. “He called at lunch and I didn’t answer.”

“What even happened? Why are you two so upset?” Serenity asked.

Joey scoffed. “He’s just being him, okay? He stood me up like...three times in a row. He only came ‘cause you and Duke begged him.”

“Well, I mean, if you really don’t like him that much you can always just call it quits. But if he’s calling, what if he’s setting up something? Why would you ignore him?”

Joey sucked in saliva as he pulled to a hard stop. “It ain’t that easy, sis...”

“Why not?”

“Cause! Just cause. And because of things like last night,” he said. “Which he’s fine, by the way. So he says. But he’s...not very good at takin’ care of himself. Not without Mokuba there to remind him of things.”

A hum from Serenity. “Sooo....you wanna make sure he’s okay?”

“Yeah, I mean, yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

A titter of laughter came from the other end. “Joey, I can’t tell you what do with your relationship, but I think you both have to try. And it’s clear you care, too, or else you wouldn’t freak out like you are.”

Joey shrugged to himself, and he grumbled, not wanting to admit to his little sister that she was right. Because she was. She was very right. So right that he almost made a quick right turn to head over to the Kaiba estate. Almost. But he steeled himself to not give in to those urges. “Even if you’re right, I told him I was mad at him. And I am. And he ain’t gettin’ out of it easy. No more you settin’ up dates, okay? He’s gotta do it. He’s gotta make time.”

“I guess that’s works. But remember, he is calling you,” Serenity said. Joey could almost see his sister winking through the phone.

Arriving home to his apartment complex, Joey got out of the car and headed upstairs, switching the phone to the opposing ear again.

In the interim, Serenity had defaulted to talking about the wedding details as Joey mulled over her statement. He offered minimal advice, knowing there wasn’t much that he could really say to help her. Their mother was doing just as much of the planning, while his role was to be there for Serenity emotionally...and to be as protective as he could, making her promise to tell him if Duke made her upset.

While she spoke, Joey busied himself with making dinner. Fried pork cutlets with rice. It was only once he sat down the phone and put his little sister in speaker that he saw there were several texts from the elder Kaiba. And he frowned, not sure how to respond, but he saw:

_Would you like to do dinner tonight?_

And Joey stared at the food as he pulled one of the cutlets out of the pan, the other sizzling as it began to brown. He found a lull in the conversation and said: “Hey, sis, I’m gonna let you go. I’m gonna sit down and eat, doubt ya wanna hear me chewin’.”

They said their goodbyes and Joey kept staring at the phone before replying:

_U at home?_

Without waiting for a reply, the blond was packing up two bowls with the pork cutlet (nibbling on his own) and running back down the stairs to his car. The urge was not fully resisted to go to the estate, and it felt like only a few blinks before he was parking just behind the gate and running up to the doors.

A quick glance at the phone, and Kaiba had replied:

 _Would I ask otherwise?_ And: _I assume that’s a ‘no’?_

Joey was rapping spastically against the door, until it was opened up by Isono, surprise lighting up his eyes.

“Welcome, Mr. Wheeler. He’s in the living room, and I’m leaving for the evening. Do you need anything?” The assistant’s eyes were pointed towards the steamed bowls filled with food.

“Nah. Thanks though,” Joey replied, and he nudged by the suit to get in as quick as possible.

Inside, a soft twinkle of keys could be heard the closer he stepped to the living room. He thought it sounded perfect, almost convinced it was playing over a stereo, until there was a missed note, fumbled by another. A hiss from Kaiba, and the cacophony of keys hit by flattened hands made Joey take a step back.

“I thought you were going to take the night, Ison—,” but as Kaiba turned, his eyes widened before he settled back to equilibrium, “—oh, Joseph. What brings you?”

“Dinner?” He asked. The containers were displayed and shaken. “Going once, going twice....”

Kaiba pulled both legs over the bench of the piano, closing the lid. “This wasn’t precisely what I had in mind.”

“Well,” a shrug from the blond. “You’ve been under the weather and I figured, ya know, why not? ‘Specially since I didn’t get your text til then anyways.”

“Not that I’m sick....”Before Kaiba could even finish the statement, Joey was heading towards the kitchen. “You cook, pup?”

“Better’n you,” he quipped back. “Mokuba told me about the burn on the ceiling.”

“I wouldn’t believe everything Mokuba tells you,” Kaiba advised.

Joey shook his head. “No. I believe him. I don’t see why he’d lie. Cookin’ just ain’t in your blood. But I didn’t think the piano was either. So much ya haven’t told me.”

“Not that you’ve asked: a hobby that works the mind and hand-eye coordination, muscle memory,” he muttered on, and somewhere in the middle disappeared through a door and down a set of stairs, returning with a bottle of wine that was being uncorked. “And I used to play for Mokuba, to calm him after particularly rough times.”

Joey didn’t even have to ask about those. He could only imagine how Mokuba came back traumatised from the different abuses of childhood. A topic he didn’t want to venture on as he laid a plate out in front of a Kaiba while the brunet poured them both wine. It wasn’t his alcohol of choice, but he was happy to have them both putting forth an effort.

And effort was put forth until they were knee deep in mindless conversation, the plates were empty, one wine bottle was empty, and the suggestion was made to go get another. They were both red faced, and Joey was giggling. Laughter seeped through Kaiba’s smirk. He offered to go back to the wine cellar.

“Ya really sure ya don’t wanna go upstairs..?”Joey snickered, and he pulled a phone closer to look at the time, believing that he was going to have to leave for work from Kaiba’s in the morning.

A loud scrape and a crash, and Joey’s head snapped up. A clarity came over his eyes as he fumbled off the chair and to the cellar door. Down in the wash of dim, orange light, Kaiba laid at the bottom of the stairs, belly up. A bottle was smashed on the step above. The elder Kaiba stirred, pushed himself up on his elbows, and sank down again.

“Seto? You alright?”

“Fine....” Kaiba moaned.

Joey danced around the glass on the stairs, brushing it away and kneeling down to pull the Kaiba up, even if the brunet refused the help. His hand was on the back of his head, touching it gingerly. “Yeah, no...can you stand?”

Looping his arm around Kaiba’s waist, fighting the weak refusal of limbs slipping out and around the grip, Joey eased Kaiba up the stairs and sat him down on one of the stools in the kitchen. Briefly, Joey dashed to the fridge, pulling out ice and wrapping it up in a cloth. “Ya got any cuts?”

“No,” Kaiba shook his head, but the world never stopped spinning when he did. The ice pack was settled against the knot that had already formed, but Kaiba was leaning forward, head almost between his knees from a different problem all together. “I don’t....augh...!”

As if to augment it, the phone began ringing. A soft, familiar melody that Mokuba had set up for himself on his brother’s phone. The headache only worsened, but Kaiba still blindly reached out towards the sound. Joey pushed the phone away.

“Ya need help, Moki can wait. I’ll fill him in on how bad you wanged your head later,” Joey said. 

“No...I...”

“Yes! You have to go to the hospital or somethin’.”

“No, not that. Don’t you dare tell Mokuba,” Kaiba commanded.

“But Seto..?”

“I said ‘no’. Listen to me, pup. Please,” said Kaiba, having carefully turned to look Joey in the eyes. His command had turned into a plea.


	3. The Ups

The lecture had dismissed to a sea of students piling out, some from up above trying to run down and make it to the exit. Sitting in the middle, Mokuba looked around to the other classmates and chewed on the inside of his cheek. His notebook was was packed away with his tablet and computer pressed under his arm.

Originally, he planned on waiting until the last of them were gone, but instead began to weave through them, trying to thunder down the stairs and out the auditorium doors.

“Mokuba,” the professor called. Mokuba flinched.

“Yessir?”

A pause as the last of the students left out. “What happened to your last paper?”

Mokuba itched the back of his head and shrugged. “I don’t know I—“

“It corrupted—the file. Look, I know that trick. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it, but you didn’t even turn in another.”

Mokuba looked towards the door and hoped for salvation from another student. He could have just walked out; he was an adult. But he was also caught, and had been taught to take the consequences.

Except his phone was buzzing in his pocket, and he welcomed the distraction. “I...if you give me one more day I’ll have it on your desk. 8 AM?” It felt like he was just filing reports, or people were filing reports to him, rather. 

His brother’s number was appearing, long after Mokuba had tried to call three times and had no response.

“That’s not how this works; consider this a lesson in the real world. It’s going to be a zero, and be happy I don’t do anything more for the trick. I know you’re capable of more.”

Mokuba bit down on his lip as the reprimand came, and one it was finished, he stormed out of the room, mumbling his apologies. The phone was answered while he bolted. “Hey, Seto.”

“Hey, Moki. I saw you called a few times. Sorry for not picking up.”

“No, it’s fine, whatever I...it wasn’t like it was important. I know you’re busy this time of year.”

Mokuba has realised he slipped through as many people as quickly as he could, going as far as the main lawn without much effort. He slowed, catching his breath.

“I was, but not exactly with work,” said Kaiba. “Joey and I...”

“Oh no. Don’t want details. Uh-uh. No thanks,” Mokuba blushed, aware that sometimes there were things his brother wasn’t private about. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. To see Kaiba blossom into an intimate and emotional relationship with someone else was a relief, even if he had a few problems with boundaries of communication regarding it.

The relationship had been a slow burn, and Mokuba could guess it started somewhere around when he was fourteen. After years of inviting Joey over, and him brushing shoulders with Kaiba in the halls, there was a sudden click. Mokuba couldn’t exactly say what caused it. He found them in the kitchen, when Joey was absent for a long while when he had said he was getting snacks. They were across from each other on the island just talking. Elbow deep in conversation. Giving each other looks.

It had been rough around the edges at first. There were obvious gaps in how they would treat one another, with each of them having knowledge that the other didn’t specifically seem to have. They were trying to dance without music, and it was sloppy. 

But the few years later, Mokuba couldn’t really say how far they had made it. Joey had a drawer, a room to himself, shared a bed with Kaiba if they were able to sync up a sleeping schedule. In spite of all that, Joey still didn’t move into the estate permanently, still choosing to pay rent at his own place. And, if Mokuba thought about it, Kaiba hadn’t offered, even if Mokuba had pressed for it.

“It’s not like that,” Kaiba chided. “Just a date. With a few drinks.”

“‘A few’? Or you couldn’t figure out where your phone was?” Mokuba chuckled. There was silence, to which Mokuba interpreted as the latter, with more than one or two drinks involved. As was usually the case when Kaiba and Joey were making amends. Drinks, a night with doors closed, and then Joey moaning about a hangover while Kaiba was powering through and burying himself in paperwork to ignore the headache. “Is everything okay? Like really? Joey’s okay?”

“Would I be talking about us if he wasn’t?” Kaiba asked. “Everything’s fine with us. What about you? Are classes going well?”

Mokuba hitched his breath to hide the cold jab that went through him. “Yeah. They’re picking up pretty hard here...hey I gotta go, I have another class in five. Love you, bye!” The rushed response was more forced than Mokuba wanted, but it served its purpose. He just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And it sounded like it. He didn’t need to know the rest of the dirty details.

—

The abruptness didn’t surprise the elder brother. A smile cocked on his face while he laid back on the couch, his phone settled on his stomach.

Something moist was placed on his forehead. Kaiba cracked his eyes open, the edges of the lukewarm washcloth hinting its way into view. Joey was overhead, arms on the back of the couch while he stared down his lover.

“Ya really should rest; doc said you shouldn’t ever be like, lookin’ at screens or anything.” 

“It’s mild,” Kaiba said. “Not much more than a bump on the head.”

“Enough that ya said you were about to throw up. That ain’t nothin’ to just let go,” Joey circled the couch and sat down in the space just beyond Kaiba’s feet. “If you woulda heard yourself last night...” 

“Spare me.”

“I’m serious. You were makin’ some gross jokes. Didn’t sound right, even for you. Your mind jus’ went...somewhere else,” Joey laughed. He gnawed on his thumbnails he tried to hold back, but said: “Ya had me scared. All doubled over an’ me thinkin’ you were about to have a seizure or somethin’.”

“Convulsions are possible.”

A light smack to Kaiba’s shin, which prompted Kaiba to push his feet into Joey’s thigh. “I’m serious. You’re havin’ all that stuff happenin’ and not letting me tell Mokuba. I thought you’d tell him but ya didn’t. Why? Why’d ya lie?” Joey asked. 

“I don’t need to take his mind away from his studies,” Kaiba said. His eyes had closed again, and though he didn’t say it, he was grateful for the wetted cloth. It made the throbbing behind his eyes simmer down. “I tell him about every problem, and he’s running back home. We’ve had enough issues with the anxiety of college to begin with.”

“I think he can hear about a concussion. It coulda been a lot worse. You coulda broken your neck or...or I don’t even wanna think about what coulda happened with that bottle,” Joey said. He shuddered to imagine what kind of damage the glass could have done.

“Very real possibilities that didn’t happen. Stop thinking about maybes.”

“I’m just trying to worry about ya!” Joey seethed. 

It was soothed by: “I know you are. It’s appreciated.”

Slack fell into Joey’s shoulders. His weight shifted to lean closer to Kaiba, arm in an empty space where the cushions met the back of the couch. Without needing to ask, Kaiba had shifted his feet so that they were over Joey’s thighs and their bodies were drawing closer. With his hands straddled to the sides of Kaiba, Joey leaned in and planted a small kiss. As it parted, there was only a breathe between them.

“Need anythin’?”

“Glass of Scotch and peace of mind,” answered Kaiba.

“I can help ya with that last part maybe,” Joey said, and he pulled back, adjusting so that they were still close, Joey’s arm slung along the back of the couch. Kaiba’s legs were propped up over Joey’s, ankles crossed.

Kaiba snorted. “I doubt that.”

Joey laughed along with him, and it felt like the air had lightened in spite of the past few weeks. Two weeks, almost three, of not coming around, not answering phone calls or texts, and missing a more comfortable bed. All over some stupid argument he didn’t even remember now, stemmed from a busy workload on Kaiba’s end. The big house was lonely when Joey was the only one there, and the halls seemed to get wider as the week had gone on.

“Don’t try me. I’ll smother ya with Nurse Joey. Complete with chicken soup and everythin’.”

Kaiba’s hands went up behind his head, and he pulled the cloth down over his eyes fully. “You would have to dress up, too.”

“Done.”

Low, rumbling laughter from the pair, dying away for the pair of them as Kaiba seemed to drift off. Joey couldn’t tell when he fell asleep, but the rhythmic movements of his chest. A slow excise mission was conducted, first moving Kaiba’s phone from his chest and onto the coffee table. After, it was moving his legs from Joey’s lap to the couch, using a pillow to be Indiana Jones. Getting him into bed would have been impossible, Joey had tried multiple times to steer him into the bedroom. It took almost bargaining with the devil to keep him home for one day. And a Friday at that. 

Kaiba shifted. Joey hitched his breath, frozen. No stir. A soft breath escaped Joey as he went around to grab a blanket and drape it over Kaiba, slow and steady. No movement. 

Joey backed away slowly, on his tiptoes, to head towards the kitchen.

 —

By nightfall, there wasn’t any keeping Kaiba down. It was two hours into a nap (far longer than Joey had thought it may go for), that the cell phone rang. He regretted not turning it onto silent, though he feared his life if he did.

It must have been a phone call that woke Kaiba. It was what it sounded like. A generic two-tone ring for anything that wasn’t related to either Mokuba, Isono, or he hoped himself. He hadn’t ever heard if he had a ringtone or not. That was something he was going to have to test one day or another.

It wasn’t until a long while after he had heard the phone ring that Joey had tried to cook up something small to eat for the both of them. If Kaiba felt like eating at all; he hadn’t acted as though he needed anything for the remainder of the day. But Joey staged the noodle soup nonetheless, carrying it with him while he went meandering through the halls, up the stairs, peering in the office and finding nothing, continuing on towards the bedroom.

Rustling came from inside, assuring Joey that he had made it to the right place. He pushed the door open, looked over his shoulder, and went in pushing the door behind him. “Hey, I made somethin’ to eat. Just noodle soup. Want any?” 

Joey always imagined the entire master bedroom would have been in shades of blue, and that belief never changed regardless of the number of times he was in it. The carpet was off-white, the furniture was cherry oak, and the bed wasn’t outrageous, though it comfortable fit the both of them. Practical. The tops of the dressers and cabinets were lined with little mementos that Joey never asked about. Some were more obvious than others, with older designs of duel disks, different pass designs with lanyards from the KaibaLand parks. Other pieces that felt more organic. Things that appeared handmade, little pottery pieces, a few drawings that hung in the mirror, and what appeared to be a handmade bracelet. All things that were never out of place. 

In the corner was a body length mirror, Kaiba standing it front of it changing clothes, still shirtless. Instinct just head Joey draw near, wanting to wrap his arms around Kaiba’s waist and maybe pull him back onto the bed.

There was a fair sized bruise on covering the whole right shoulder blade that stopped Joey. Mottled in dark purples, like someone had just hit it hard with a baseball bat. “Seto? Hear me?”

“Yes. And no, thank you. I have to be somewhere tonight,” he said. A charcoal grey shirt with a light sheen. It made the bruise disappear from sight but not mind. “They always overfeed you; it’d be rude to decline.”

“Like they would say anything to you,” Joey arched a brow. “Where? Can’t ya jus’ pass?”

“Not likely,” Kaiba replied. He went back to the closet, picking between a few ties before pulling one out and throwing it over his shoulders. “It’s not mentally taxing, I assure you.”

“Maybe not, but ya haven’t even taken off the hospital bracelet yet,” Joey said. He could see it dangling just beyond the cuff. Kaiba stared at it for a second, likely wondering why he hadn’t taken it off. And there was struggle to pull it off once two fingers were beneath it. The confusion that Joey wasn’t used to seeing was the reason he didn’t want to see Kaiba leave in the first place.

Setting down the bowl of noodles, Joey came over and took hold of Kaiba’s wrist, pulling at the bracelet until it popped off. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, no problem.” 

Joey walked backwards until he made it to the dresser, the hospital bracelet laid in the rows of mementos. His arms crossed, scanning Kaiba up and down as the tie was finished and the suit jacket was taken off a hanger and thrown over Kaiba’s shoulders.

“You’re not getting dressed?” Asked Kaiba. He pivoted around to Joey, brow arched.

Joey scoffed. “Dressed? I’m invited to this charity thing? No way.” 

“You’ve went before,” Kaiba said. 

“And stood against the wall. No thanks. Can’t dance, don’t wanna talk to those...worse rich people.” Joey has staggered his way through the last part, not wanting to insult Kaiba at this moment. He’d tried to lay back on them for a long time. 

“Can’t or won’t?” Kaiba asked.

“What?” 

“Dance. Can’t or won’t? It’s not like you’ve ever danced with me before at these things; I don’t see why that’s a problem now.”

Joey sighed and dropped his arms, splaying them by his sides and letting them fall to his thighs. “I can...shake? I dunno how ya wanna put it, but it ain’t the kind of dancin’ those people do.”

One button was cinched in the jacket as Kaiba stepped up to Joey. He planned on going past him, grabbing a pair of cuff links to finish. “Hands,” he said, and displayed his to Joey.

“Oh no...”

“All these functions I’ve taken you to and you can’t dance. It’s like I barely know you.” 

Joey cast his eyes at the ground, but settled his hands in Kaiba’s palms, and he squeezed around them to absorb the warmth. “Didn’t think it was a need to know.” 

“Until now?”

“....until now.”

“Hand on my shoulder,” Kaiba said, though he was guiding Joey’s hand there anyways. His hand settled on Joey’s waist. “Follow my lead.”

Shades of crimson began painting across Joey’s face. He couldn’t resist looking down at Kaiba’s feet so he could pick where to put his, following the square pattern that Kaiba took them in.

“Easier with music.”

“Mm. Look at me or you’ll trip.” 

Joey snorted. “You’d laugh.”

A nonchalant shrug, and they seemed to shift around the wider space. His feet felt like they were tangling to keep up with the wider sweeps, but he was determined to keep up.  

“Not gonna do the spin thing with me?” Joey asked, and he clasped Kaiba’s hand a little tighter, letting their fingers link up. As he asked, Kaiba let go of his waist and shifted Joey’s arm to send him out. Instinct drew him back, though he put his back against Kaiba’s chest. 

“Seems you know what you’re doing,” Kaiba said, as though he was ready to cast Joey out. The blonde coveted the arms and hands he had been holding. His hips swayed, rocking them back and forth while leaning his head back on Kaiba’s shoulders.

“Fine, I’ll go with ya but only ‘cause I’m worried about you.”

Kaiba pressed his nose into Joey’s hair. “Not so we can dance like this?” He whispered. 

A silence. Kaiba’s arms snaked around his lover’s waist. And all Joey could hear was his ears sizzling. “N-nah. Not on your life.”

Joey was released, and the warmth was immediately missed. “Dress in the red shirt,” Kaiba called, having heard Joey shuffle out.

The bowl of noodles was scooped up, fork taken in hand, but as he inspected the broth, little red blood drops settled in a perfect circles.

The bowl was sat down, and his hand shuttered under his nose before he threw his head back.

Joey was gone, and Kaiba was grateful.


	4. The Plateaus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wait, this one just didn’t want to come out!

Mokuba had insisted on a full college experience, forgoing the luxuries for at least his freshman year, and settled down in a dormitory. Going in, the idea of being stuck with a random person over the course of the year felt like the kind of kick in the pants that he wanted, or needed, because it would give him the opportunity to become friends with someone outside his normal circle.

That thought was tossed out the window in the first two days. His roommate (who’s name Mokuba hadn’t bothered to remember, and simply referred to as ‘Asshole’) was loud, rude, and invasive. His things were constantly being moved or going missing. His roommate would come in at all hours of the night, have loud, overtly sexual Skype calls with his girlfriend, and when Mokuba did try to tell him to be quiet, he would get:

“If you don’t like it, why don’t you just go buy the diploma, Kaiba?”

Mokuba had just stopped trying after the first few weeks. He kept to himself and his small desk on his half of the room, usually with his headphones plugged in and music turned all the way up. It was the only way to get work done, especially when he was still trying to continue to fill his role as honorary Vice President and representative remotely.

It had never been pressed upon him to uphold his position. What was more important, Seto had told him, was that he made use of the time at college. Deep down, Mokuba knew that his brother hadn’t gotten that kind of experience, nor necessarily needed it. Sometimes, when he stared blankly at CC’d e-mails from public relations or marketing, he wondered what kind of person his brother would have been like while living in the cramped dormitory with such an obnoxious roommate.

And Mokuba would roll his eyes, going back to the e-mails, because it always dawned on him that Seto had lived with a slovenly, whiny, demanding roommate that he called a brother for eighteen years and hadn’t strangled yet. Maybe it was an odd comfort just to an overactive imagination of seeing Seto hustling around the campus, Mokuba considered.

With the semester almost up, and Mokuba felt like he was racing against to finish up papers he didn’t want to write, their topics so mundane and trivial, while studying for exams that were going to be a chore. He figured that this all would be easy—that his hectic worklife experience would reflect well here, but he felt like college was a regressive study in how all these things played out. His workplace knowledge didn’t translate the way he wanted it to. Except for the deadlines...

He had to finish up this paper. Had to. His fingers were furious over the keys, knowing he’d forgotten about it. He’d put it aside for so long just because the publicity announcements for KaibaCorp were so much more interesting. The music was even going his way, a ripping guitar solo thudding through his heart and twitching into his fingers, each line appearing with a smug satisfaction and...

His headphones were ripped out.

“What the hell!”

Mokuba whipped around, hands slammed on his desk, to meet eye to eye with Asshole, a skinny girl in a sequin halter top, who wasn’t his girlfriend, behind him. “I’ve been yelling at you to get out.”

“It’s my room too, you know.”

“Yeah, don’t care. I’ve got some business to uh...conduct,” Asshole said, wrapping his arm around the girl’s waist while she was giggling.

The laptop was unplugged and shoved in a book bag, his headphones also shoved inside. His eyes never left Asshole, or more importantly, his date.

“What the hell are you staring at, rich-boy? Get the fuck out.”

Mokuba flung the book bag over his shoulder and sauntered by, sneering. “I feel bad for your girlfriend. I’d get yourself tested when you’re done, Miss.” Mokuba said, mostly looking her over with sympathy, sure that she was unaware that she was ‘the other lady’. It didn’t make him feel any better to say it, but it came out regardless.

“Thank you so much for the concern! Just what I’d expect from a faggot’s brother.”

Mokuba froze at the door, trembling, before looking back at the smug expression on Asshole’s face. Everything went red, and he threw out a sucker punch, connecting with skin. Seconds later, he was shoved against the door and popped in the face with a quick jab. The taste of copper flooded between his teeth. His knee shoved between Asshole’s and shook his footing and shoving him away.

The girl stood back, her hands out to stop them, but Mokuba was already done. He left, slamming the door behind him. As he stomped through the halls, he was fuming. When he reached the stairs, it had mellowed to annoyance with revenge in mind, planning to tell an RA.

By the time he was walking through campus, it had dropped to just being upset. It was one thing to insult him, or his name, because it was an abuse he could endure. Bringing Seto, his nii-sama, into it? That was a cause he always wanted to fight for, even when they were miles apart. Especially that they were miles apart.

Mokuba didn’t even know where he was going when he ran out, only realised that he ended up at a coffee shop at the edge of campus when by the acrid and inviting smell. At least it had wi-fi.

He was left dazed and uncaring, standing in line with money crinkling between his fingers and eyes scanning the chalkboard for the daily specials, waiting for his order, like it was going to give him the answers about what had just happened. It was pretty dead at nine o’ clock at night.

So when someone tapped his shoulder, he jumped and turned to face the blonde girl with glasses. Familiarity slowly dawned on him, the prickled feeling of who was standing before him raising hairs on the back of his neck, with her name on the tip of his tongue.

She must have read it in his face, giggling. “You don’t remember me? Because I remember you, Mokuba Kaiba.”

Mokuba searched for a name, and felt a spark over his head. “Rebecca? Rebecca Hawkins?”

Rebecca giggled. “In the flesh. Oh my God, Mokuba, you’re all grown up!”

“Me? What about you?” He laughed. He was so enraptured with her standing in from of him that he hadn’t heard his name being called until Rebecca pointed at he counter. He jumped, grabbed the coffee, and moved to the side of her as she went up in line. “What the heck are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” She asked.

“Uh....college? But everyone told me you had already done all that,” Mokuba said.

They walked together over to a small nook in the corner of the coffee shop. “I did. I’m starting graduate stuff now,” she explained. Mokuba was doing math in his head, remembering her to be a little younger than him. Maybe a year or so. The idea of her still being in college, like in the past, was appalling. “What happened to your lip?”

Mokuba ran his tongue along his lower lip, feeling the split down the center. He hadn’t noticed it was there, but wasn’t surprised. “Me and my roommate sorta...got into it.”

Rebecca grabbed her coffee and the pair of them walked over towards a cozy corner of the coffee shop, sitting down. “Yikes, why?”

“He was being a dick, that’s all. It’s why I’m here. Nothing serious.”

Rebecca ran her finger over the rim of her cup, side-eyeing Mokuba because she knew there was more to it but said nothing. She changed subjects. “So what’s your major?”

“Business and accounting.”

“Not IT or anything like that?” Rebecca asked.

“Nah. That’s Seto’s gig; I mostly do PR stuff anymore. Felt like it made sense,” Mokuba said. He leaned back in his seat and slumped down, a little more comfortable than he had been when he walked over there. The coffee was balanced on his stomach, emanating warmth into his hands. “Plus, I figure the degree will be good to hang up somewhere.”

Rebecca laughed infectiously, and made Mokuba start to chuckle. “Hey, you still play Duel Monsters?” She asked.

Mokuba rolled his head over to her. “Does the sun rise in the east? Yeah! And Capsule Chess, too. I know you still play, I’ve seen, well, not seen but I’ve heard your name in tournaments and stuff.”

Rebecca blushed, but also beamed with pride as she flashed him a victory sign.  
“Well, since you probably won’t be going back to your room, wanna come to my place and play a couple of rounds for fun?”

Mokuba arched a brow, but hardly hesitated. “Yeah, sure, that sounds great. Haven’t found anyone good to duel in a while.”

Mokuba hopped up, and Rebecca mimed him while he pulled his book bag over his shoulder. The air was filled with nostalgia as Rebecca struck up more conversation while they headed out and across campus. Finishing the paper never entered Mokuba’s mind.

—

Charity felt like a dirty word in the Kaiba household, Joey had come to learn. Not because it was demeaning or beneath either of the brothers, but because, as he had gradually pieced together, it implied separating one’s self from their actions. Nothing better than another carefully allocated donation from KaibaCorp, set in one of accounting’s labyrinthine spreadsheets, occasionally updated by Mokuba, and then sent to Kaiba’s desk quarterly to be signed off on.

Joey had, one day, asked what they should be calling their visits to the children’s home “Bringing happiness,” Mokuba had told him. When Joey turned to consult Kaiba, there hadn’t been a flinch in expression, his opinion deferred to Mokuba’s.

None of that changed the fact that Joey knew there was a soft spot in Kaiba’s heart for the excursions, whether he admitted it or not. Relegating it to a number on a spreadsheet would have done it a disservice. Charity was not required—happiness was.

For the length of their relationship, Joey had been invited to join them with Mokuba’s enthusiasm. When Mokuba went off to college, he had decided that Joey, now more natural around the kids in the children’s home, would take his place while he was away.

Even at the time when Kaiba and Joey were fighting, they would come together for the kids at the children’s home. It was often times the catalyst to stop an argument in the first place. Mostly because of the tender, more pliable side it seemed to bring out in Kaiba. Joey wondered if Mokuba knew that.

They trips were usually set to meet after work, and Joey always felt like the late one. Kaiba had already been there for an indeterminate amount of time, with his coat and tie pulled off and sleeves rolled up while he interacted the children in one way or another.

So when Joey walked through the door and was greeted with: “Mr. Joey! Where’s Mr. Seto?” He had to mask his surprise as he replied: “He ain’t here yet?”

The kids sat him down at a short table, one of them bringing up a board game, another dumping paper and crayons on the table. “Nope!”

Joey shouldn’t have panicked, but he did. It had been a week since Kaiba had fallen, and he knew there was still potential for things to happen. It was the nature of concussions.

As Joey made paper craft decorations with the kids for Christmas, he thought of the worst possibilities and hid it behind laughter and smiles. He didn’t want to get any terrifying phone calls from Isono, and in turn, didn’t want to make any terrifying phone calls to Mokuba. He wasn’t even sure if that was his job, or if Isono would handle the delicate matters.

All of those considerations were pushed aside when Kaiba walked through with one of the caretakers. His overcoat was in her hands. His suit jacket was pulled off and hanging off of his shoulders.

“Where ya been?” Joey asked, but he was hardly heard over the rambunctiousness of the children who pawed at Kaiba’s hands and pulled him towards a corner of the room.

“Work. Something came up.”

Joey gave a flat look of ‘no shit’ before turning back towards the kids. They had sat Kaiba down in a blue chair, some of them dragging up pillows and blankets. An older boy handed Kaiba a hardback book with a bookmark in it. It was slipped out, and the book thumbed open.

“Oh, let me do the voices,” Joey said, and he went to stand from his place, but a little girl grabbed his wrist while other children chorused ‘nooo!’ and snickered. “Ouch, guys, really? Ya were lettin’ me do it last time.”

Kaiba had read through the last two pages they had left on while Joey interjected, and he let a cool smirk slip away before beginning to read aloud. Joey couldn’t blame the kids for wanting Kaiba to be the only one to read to them. He had a hypnotising tone and rhythm in his voice that was neither demanding, nor at the same time, hard to ignore. Even for Joey, who had stopped working on the crafts in lieu of leaning his cheek in his hand and watching Kaiba in a way that could only be seen as a bit lovesick.

Two chapters later, the kids moaned for Kaiba to keep reading, but the caretaker overlooking the kids informed them that it was time for dinner, Kaiba’s coat returned to him. Joey reluctantly bid the kids good-bye, hugging a few, as they ran out of the room and to the cafeteria.

Once they tidied up, the couple headed out of the children’s home side by side, a blast of cold air hitting them in the face. Joey pulled his coat up close around his neck, and he turned to see Kaiba doing the same thing before reaching for his keys. Digging his scarf out of a coat pocket, Joey draped it over the brunet’s neck. Kaiba flinched, but didn’t stall Joey’s hand while the scarf was wound around his neck. “It’s cold,” said Joey.

“Yes it is.”

“What happened?” Joey asked.

“With what?”

“With work,” Kaiba flattened the scarf down into his overcoat when Joey finished up. “Everything okay?”

“Someone collapsed in the labs,” Kaiba mentioned.

“Holy shit, they alright?”

Before Kaiba could respond, the doors to the children’s home burst open. A little girl, no older than four, ran out with something clutched in her hand. She ran into Kaiba’s leg and hugged his knee. “Mis’er Seto...!”

“Iris, get back inside; it’s cold,” the female caretaker said, having chased after her. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Kaiba.”

Kaiba raised his hand to stop the woman. The girl detached from Kaiba, and he knelt down to get a better look at what she was waving in her hand. “For you and Mis’er Joey.”

Kaiba took the piece of construction paper, pink, cut in the shape of a heart. “Thank you, Iris.”

The caretaker picked up the girl, urging her to wave goodbye. Kaiba stood back up, giving her a wave back. Joey hung over Kaiba’s shoulder, getting a look at what they were gifted. The small heart had two stick figures on it, one with blond hair, the other with brown, and they were holding hands. More hearts were above their heads.

“That’s totally your white coat, Seto,” Joey said, and he pointed to what looked like a cape that the brown-haired one wore. “So...means this is us, ain’t it?”

“I believe so.”

“Aww, we’re hangin’ that up,” Joey said, and pecked Kaiba on the cheek. He then wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, and was happy that Kaiba didn’t stop him. He even bettered it by knitting his fingers between the blond’s.

Joey smiled and asked: “Dinner?”

“No more of Nurse Joey’s home cooking?” Kaiba retorted.

“Nurse is off for the night. I’m thinkin’...place down the road? We can walk to it,” Kaiba didn’t seem swayed. “It’ll be nice an’ cozy. Prolly jus’ me an’ you.”

Kaiba’s hand never strayed from the grip of Joey’s fingers, and the blond never pushed it as they walked down the street, though he did lean close for the warmth between them.

Dinner itself was non-descript. A hole in the wall place where they sat in a private corner. Joey had laid the heart cut out on the table for them both to admire.

They spoke hushed to one another, though Joey did most of the talking, complaining about work while Kaiba was no doubt going over work-related e-mails and messages on his phone. Joey didn’t mind, the irony wasn’t lost on him.

“I was looking at listings for a high rise,” Kaiba said at a lull in the conversation. He had set the phone down and away.

“What, thinkin’ of turnin’ it into somethin’?” Joey asked. Most of his dinner had been wolfed down, and he was nursing a beer. For most of the night, Kaiba had been pushing food around his plate and was more interested in a glass of wine.

“There’s a penthouse that just came on the market.”

Joey leaned forward. “...what are you gettin’ at?”

Kaiba set down his fork and knit his fingers together. “I have considered downsizing.”

“‘Downsizin’? Ya mean like...movin’?” Joey was a little perplexed. It felt like it came out of nowhere, and the fact that Kaiba wasn’t looking him in the eye while announcing this plan made him even more of a skeptic.

“If you want to put it that way,” Kaiba said.

“What about the house? You...how seriously you thinkin’ about this?”

Kaiba shifted, his shoulders squaring while he leaned back in the seat. Now, he looked Joey in the eye. “I planned on either selling it or finding a secondary use for it. Mokuba is out of the house—“

“—an’ comin’ back durin’ breaks—“

“—and it’s been a plan I’ve always wanted to execute, but never had a reason,” Kaiba finished. His hands unfolded and he stole up the wine glass. “Until now.”

“Until now?” Asked Joey. “What changed? Mokuba leavin’?”

Kaiba stared across at Joey, brows raising but silent to the answer. His tucked one arm beneath the other, the red wine swirled in the glass. Joey spread his arms in front of him, bearing his chest open and waiting for a response.

Until it dawned on him, and his hands turned to point at his own chest. “Very astute, Joseph,” Kaiba said, and mockingly clapped against the glass. “I want you to come with me, perhaps in a day or two, and see what you think of the place.”

“Hey, I...look, Seto, I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout nothin’ for that kind of stuff and...”Joey was blushing though. Deep down, he really knew what Kaiba meant, he just didn’t believe him. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Have I ever struck you as the joking type?”

“Only when ya want to be mean,” Joey replied. Kaiba rolled his eyes and smirked, but he was shaking his head. “You are serious? So, ya like, okay let me see if I...”

“I want you to move in. With me. In a place that would be ours. And sometimes Mokuba.” And all the statements were dotted with a cocky smile that flashed and then fell away.

Joey shook his head through them, somewhere between disbelief and dismay, his hands covering his mouth. “No...no I don’t....”

“No?”

“Not ‘no’!” Joey’s hands slid from his mouth up into his bangs, pushing them up and back. “I...I don’t think your makin’ this decision at the right time.”

“Pardon me if I don’t follow.”

Joey scoffed. “Don’t play stupid, it don’t work with ya. The...the you havin’ been sick an’ all.”

“This was something I had already been considering before that,” Kaiba said, brushing off the insult. “What’s your answer?”

Joey’s heart was in his throat, beating so fast and suffocating him. Parted lips said nothing, his hand extended across the table as if to make a point, but he didn’t know what there was to say. Kaiba never went into anything without complete consideration of the consequences, and somewhere, Joey imagined there was a pros and cons list that he had drawn up in a private notebook shoved into the back of his office desk. The little, almost computer-type scrawl filling up the pages, leaving no thought without analysis. How many places had Kaiba actually looked at before he found ‘the one’ he wanted to show Joey? All of this meaning that he had considered Joey, of course he had. And that meant that...

A soft hand landed in his one left extended, thumb brushing along the rough ridges of Joey’s banged up hands. It drew Joey out of the run-on of considerations and probabilities. None of which involved a future, but spoke volumes of Kaiba’s state of mind. Joey dropped his other hand over Kaiba’s, enclosing it. It was cold, with a shudder. The executive was flushed.

Nervous. Kaiba would never admit to it.

Joey pushed his heart from his throat. “Let me—us—look at it. An’ then maybe. A’right?”

Their eyes met, Joey searching for that shudder in Kaiba’s impenetrable expression. At first, Kaiba was unmoved, not even for the sound of a Mokuba text incoming, until there was a thinning in his eyes, a mock severity that frightened Joey until he noticed the smile. Brief, though powerful when coupled with the squeeze of Joey’s hand.

“That sounds like an acceptable agreement,” said Kaiba. He pulled back his hand back, regaining his elegant composure.

“You’re happy,” Joey said.

“I’m content.”

“Hap-py. Say it with me,” Joey chided. “It’s okay to be happy about it. Unless your happy ‘cause ya won, in which case, stop bein’ a smug asshole ‘cause I’m happy, too. Now answer your phone, Mokuba’s blowin’ ya up.”

Kaiba relented to the order, scrolling up through the messages until he reached the top of the unread. A close-up selfie of him with a blond girl, a Duel Monsters field between them.

“Seems as if we aren’t the only ones happy right now,” said Kaiba. Joey leaned in when the phone was turned towards him.

“Who’s he with?”

“Rebecca Hawkins.”

Joey searched him memory for the name. “Yugi’s grandpa’s friend’s granddaughter person?” He said, finding his own words convoluted. Kaiba nodded. “So, you think they...?”

“He hasn’t said.”

“So they are?”

Kaiba frowned. “I doubt it.”

“Well, he’s got a cut on his lip. Something’s happened. Don’t think he’s goin’ around sucker punchin’ people,” Joey pointed out. “Good for him.”

“You’re impossible,” Kaiba said, and tucked the phone away while Joey was laughing. “I feel as if he’d tell me those details.”

“He’s a kid in college, he’s gonna hide things,” Joey mentioned. Kaiba seemed uncomfortable with the idea, and he aggressively stole up the check as it arrived. “Aw, c’mon, Seto, let him have his fun.”

“Does it look like I’m stopping him?”

“It looks like you’re constipated,” Joey mentioned. Bills were placed into the check and the book slammed shut. Joey picked up the heart cut out and displayed it to Kaiba, loving. “You could interrogate him t’morrow, ya know. Tonight, me and you could have some fun, too. I think we’ve had a pretty good day.”

The discomfort in Kaiba lessened with the affectionate distraction. They went to stand, with Joey leaning in to kiss him over the table. A pointer finger was pressed against Joey’s lips. “Only if you can wait.”

Joey licked the finger. “Not long.”

“Until we get home?” Kaiba challenged.

Joey was already heading for the door, beckoning for Kaiba to follow him. So much was on the executive’s mind, but Joey had put himself at the forefront. As he was so good at doing. Like magnets so inexplicably drawn to one another.


	5. The Molehills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why, but I dislike the work ‘mansion’ like people dislike the word ‘moist’. *shivers* 
> 
> thanks for all the kudos and comments :3

"I really like this one!" Serenity protested.

Mrs. Wheeler clicked her tongue. "It's so poofy, though."

"But its so much like the other one! It makes me feel like a princess."

"You're a princess no matter what, honey. But you don't have to be an outdated princess," Mrs. Wheeler said.

Serenity pouted, hands bunching up in the wide hips of dress number 12, and she spun around one more time, billowing out the layered train and displaying it for her audience of four to see. The bodice was tight and low, covered in pearl-like beading. Wide, sheer strips angled over her shoulders but leaving them mostly exposed. The bottom of it belled outward, tulle covering the satin under-layer. Throughout most of the show, it was Mrs. Wheeler doing all the talking, giving a yea or nay on any of her daughter's choices.

The other three present, Mai, Tea and, to his own surprise, Joey, sat without much commentary, only speaking when asked, as if to let Mrs. Wheeler have her way. At least up until dress 12, where Joey shifted around on the opposite side of the couch from his mother. The other ladies, the bridesmaids, were squeezed between the tension. They weren't enough to stop Joey from leaning forward, sitting on the edge of the couch, and staring his mother down. Though Mai, sitting beside him, did try and push her hand against his chest, with little effect. "She says she likes it, Ma. Maybe, I dunno, let her put it aside and compare or somethin'?"

Joey remained calm for his sister's sake. More tempered than explosive teenager Mrs. Wheeler might have remembered. He had learned the art of an argument from dueling with the expert at it for far too long. Still, his fists were clenched overtop of his knees, unable to shake all of his annoyance and remain completely resolute in his promise to Serenity that he and their mother would get along.

"There are plenty more dresses for her to try that don't look so cheap."

"It's her day, let her pick what she wants," Joey said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Serenity's shoulders drop with her hands still squeezing the fabric. "I like the sparkly bits, Ren. S'like little fireworks."

"Thanks," Serenity smiled. She then turned to Tea and Mai who cooed and complimented. Which Joey was grateful for, not fighting the battle against his mother alone. "Alright, well, I'm gonna hold onto it and see? Maybe try in another one."

Stepping down from the dais, Serenity was escorted back through the hall to the dressing room with a salesclerk. When the door clicked closed, Mrs. Wheeler leaned her head back and sighed, long and loud. Joey rolled his eyes and whipped his phone from his pocket when it buzzed, welcoming the distraction. His mother wasn't baiting him into this argument.

"Everything okay?" Tea asked.

Another exaggerated sigh. "I never thought this part would be so hard. Watching her try on all these dresses...its just so surreal."

Tea nodded. "I'm sure it's pretty weird, huh?"

"Absolutely. I still remember her running around in diapers, but here she is getting married. I just," she sniffled and produced a tissue from her purse, "goodness. I never thought much of Duke back when she had her surgery, but he's made her so happy."

"Joey and Tristan were so ready to kill him back then," Tea laughed. "I sometimes think Joey still wants to."

Joey snorted. "Sometimes?"

"Well you haven't yet! That must mean something," Tea said.

"It was him or Tris, an' I wasn't 'bout to let it be Tris. My brother with my sister? No thanks," Joey said. He typed a few more characters, laughing to himself. He set his phone down after, and looked over at the three women as Tea reached over to Mai to bat his knee. They were laughing, but his mother seemed more content to stare at the dressing room.

"I'm much happier that she settled with him," Mrs. Wheeler said. "No offence to your friend, Joey, but Duke seems much more stable and successful."

Mai's hand settled on Joey's arm when she felt him flinch into her side. "Both your kids are very lucky, Mrs. Wheeler. It's hard to find one stable, successful man in this world. Let alone two."

"I suppose you're right," Mrs. Wheeler sighed, a grimace in her smile. "I'm honestly surprised you and Joey didn't end up together, Mai. You two looked so natural together."

Purple, manicured nails dug into Joey's arm when he leaned forward again. She used the other hand to pick through the blond curls. "Oh, you know," she sing-songed. "We had our fun and then moved on to bigger and better things."

"That's how life goes, I suppose," Mrs. Wheeler said, not hiding the displeasure in her tone.

"Mom!" Serenity yelled from down the hall. "Come here!"

Mrs. Wheeler rose from her spot and began towards the dressing room. "Oh dear, that can't be good. I'll be back in a minute."

Once the door closed, Mai removed her hand from Joey's arm, inspecting the nails first, and then the small divots in his sleeve, having felt him flex against her grip. He had slackened back into the couch, his thumbs hammering away at his phone screen. The ladies exchanged glances with one another, begging one another to ask if Joey was alright after the train wreck of a conversation. Tea shrugged and stared at her knees, picking loose fibers off her skirt.

"Well, that was stupid," Mai said.

"Only a little," Tea agreed. She looked Joey over sympathetically, biting her lip. "You okay, Joey?"

"Me? Yeah, 'course I'm okay," he said. His eyes flicked up from his phone, arms out stretching over the top of the couch. "Ma's jus' always picky about things—set in her ways. It ain't nothin' me and Ren ain't use to."

"Still, between you and her not getting along and her and Serenity not able to agree on a dress..."Tea said, a moan behind her voice.

"This is going to take forever is what she's saying," Mai huffed. Her arms crossed tight over her chest.

"They'll agree on somethin' soon. Like, prolly now, 'cause she really wants that one she just tried on," Joey said.

"There's no way you can know that," Tea countered.

"Oh yeah? What 'bout this?" Joey chuckled, and he revealed the face of his phone littered with text messages. "She texted me soon as she was back there."

Tea rolled her eyes and snorted. "Figures, brings us all here and only wants her brother's opinion."

"Yeah, that's sorta weird t' me too. I ain't got a lick of fashion sense."

"Don't even get me started," Mai said, hands displayed dramatically before she grabbed the collar of his jean jacket. "You've had this thing forever; get something new, hun, really."

A round of laughter began, and Joey shoved Mai playfully on the shoulder, knocking her into Tea. The pair worked together to shove him back with force, all the way off the couch while he sucked in air to breath he laughed so hard. The ladies had forgotten all about the prior, awkward conversation.

The mother and daughter walked out of the dressing room, Serenity donning the same baggy clothes that she had worn in two hours earlier instead of another dress. The salesclerk was flattening out the dress in a clear bag and ushering them over to the counter. Mrs. Wheeler headed in that direction, chatting up the salesclerk. Serenity went over to her brother instead, helping him up off the ground and hugging him until his ribs hurt.

Joey hung back from the ladies as they chattered with each other, the clerk trying to up-sell them. Once finished, they turned around and headed towards the door together.

"Are we still in for the ladies' brunch?" Mai asked.

"Yeah, of course," Serenity said, hands clapped together. "I have so many things I need to show you guys! I cannot decide."

Joey scratched at his chin as they headed for the door. He was more than happy that it was a 'ladies' brunch'. As much as he supported Serenity, going over the painstaking details of her wedding was not something he felt he had any talent for. If anything, he was only going to be in charge of planning Duke's bachelor party. And that was a maybe. "You guys have fun with that. I'm gonna get goin', a'right sis?"

Serenity stopped at in doorway, the other three women staring at as she looked back to her brother. "You coming, sweetheart?" Mrs. Wheeler asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. I just gotta tell Joey something real quick, okay?"

Mrs. Wheeler looked between her two children, softening at Serenity's batted lashes and soft smile. She nodded. "Be quick, okay?"

Serenity watched until her mother was in the car before turning back and hugging Joey again, her grip worse than the affectionate hug before. Her nose buried into his shoulder, hiding her face. "Woah, uh...is, is everythin' okay?"

"Yeah," Serenity replied. "I just heard you guys talking earlier. The stuff that Mom was saying about you and Mai. I hate it that she pretends like you're not already with someone."

"Eh, don't worry about that," Joey hugged her back, rubbing her shoulders. "She don't bother me none. 'Sides, I was more worried about you an' her not pickin' somethin'. Which ya did, so that's a good thing."

Serenity pulled back, hands clasped at her waist. "Yeah, it's so close to the one I really want, I just couldn't say no."

"The one ya really want?" Joey repeated, and he recalled her saying that earlier.

"Yeah, let me show you. It's this super cute design by Monique L, and I think I got it pretty close."

She pulled out her phone and thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. The dress was displayed, the design similar to what she had picked out. So much so that Joey could hardly tell, but he was sure Serenity saw every glaring difference. "It's nice, Ren. Why not jus' get that one?"

"Well..." Serenity rocked her feet back and forth. She scrolled down to the price, which had Joey's eyes widen. "And that's without alterations. Kinda, you know, outta the price range. So I have to settle for next best, you know?"

Slipping his hands in his pockets, Joey found himself sympathetic. There wasn't much he felt he could do for her. He felt rather slack in his duties as her brother for this wedding, and he saw the passion in her eyes as she showed him the dress. His hands landed on her shoulders. "Ya know what? I got an idea."

"Huh?"

"You're gonna be wearin' that dress sis, okay? I'm gonna make sure of it."

"Joey, I don't...no, no don't do that. You don't have to do that for me. You've already done so much..."

Joey shook his head. "You ain't tell me no on this one either. I love you sis, and you deserve to be wearin' the dress you want. Jus' give me a day or two, and I'll get it figured out. Promise."

Serenity's eyes bolted down to her shoes and back up to her brother's determined gaze, hesitant. His hands squeezed her shoulders, which made a wide smile crop up. A smile he would do anything for. She hugged him again.

"Thank you so much, Joey," she said. Her head turned, her mother hanging at the door waving for her. She kissed Joey on the cheek. "Talk soon?"

"Yeah," he said, and waved her off. "And don't tell Mom!"

Serenity's bubbling laughter spread to him, bitten down into his throat while his hands clenched tight in his jean pockets, proud of himself. Now, all Joey had to do was actually follow through. That wouldn't be too hard.

—

It must have been midday when Mokuba actually woke up. At least he'd been able to sleep; Asshole had vacated the dorm and hadn't been back the entire time.

He'd spent the entire night at Rebecca's, until the girl shoved him out of the dorm at sunrise, worried her roommate was about to come home and she could be caught. Doing what, he wasn't sure. Nothing had happened other than her thoroughly beating him in many rounds of Duel Monsters, no matter how hard he tried.

When he did wake up, he was greeted with several long texts from Seto, giving him lectures about safe sex that Mokuba was sure he had several years ago, under much less stressful circumstances. It was the manner that they were sent, so direct and abrupt, that felt suspicious. A little more on edge than normal, maybe. Fear of losing his baby brother? It was endearing as it was, perhaps, a little bit invasive.

It wasn't as if Mokuba hadn't ever dated anyone before, nor was he completely virginal. Seto knew that already.

The seriousness of the accusation laid around the scabbed over cut on his lip. His tongue ran across it. How easily those things could be misconstrued...though his brother wasn't usually the type to care so much, so long as he played it safe. Maybe sending that picture wasn't such a good idea.

 _I don't get mad when I've walked in on you and J getting it on :P,_ Mokuba sent, whole-hearted but serious.

 _Don't make this about me,_ Seto fired back. _You shouldn't have to worry about that much longer anyways._

_What? You gonna learn to close the door? Lol >u<_

It never ceased to amuse Mokuba when he tormented his brother. Throughout this process of texting back and forth, he forwent any grooming and grabbed his backpack, heading for a two o' clock lecture. The noon class had been missed.

On his way, Seto texted him a link, and he opened it up as he jogged across campus and into one of the main buildings. His brows furrowed, looking over the slideshow of pictures of a penthouse, elegant and empty.

There was a price listed.

_OMG!!! Are you seriously? With J??? Like really...? Does he know? :DDDDDD_

Mokuba's grin split ear to ear, and he put his phone down to jog up the stairs. From across the gap he saw Rebecca, waving to her and smiling. She winked back before walking on.

 _We'll be looking at it soon_ , Seto replied.

As he entered the classroom, Mokuba fired out a 'what's up' text to Rebecca, having exchanged numbers (and Twitter, and Instagram, and Snapchat) the night before. But he was also sliding through the pictures of the penthouse again, coming to another thought:

_So...no more mansion :(_

There was a considerable wait in Seto's reply, though there was a constant '...' for several minutes. He picked his seat and unpacked, poking his tablet awake. No more mansion. His stomach was sinking as much as his heart was fluttering. This decision hurt, even if he had pushed Seto to ask Joey to move in. He hadn't meant to another place. But he couldn't sit there telling his brother where he was or wasn't allowed to move. Not when his happiness was concerned. It had been a weight off Mokuba's chest that Seto had Joey to look out for him. It didn't feel like he'd left his brother alone to go away to college.

Rebecca replied back first, getting his hopes up. She could wait a moment.

 _I haven't thought of another use for it yet. Are you upset, kiddo?_ Seto asked after more then ten minutes.

Upset? No, maybe not fully. But if Seto thought so, maybe it was that and something more. The lecture had begun, and Mokuba went to work taking notes as he collected his thoughts. The memories of Seto and him in the house, all the things they had went through, the losses and the gains, the good and bad, came flooding back. Those walls would hold no more secrets, make no more memories—but maybe it was time for new memories.

Mokuba replied: _I think if you and J are happy, then I'm happy too! ;3 you just have to have a room for me!!!_

 _No. We'll set you up a tent on the roof_ , Seto replied within a second. Mokuba chuckled to himself, trying his best to stifle it from his classmates. 

 _LOL!!!! So mean!!! I'm squatting in the old house then!!! Well...never mind. A tent could be fun too :D You're not allowed in the tent tho. Me and J only!,_ Mokuba replied. 

 _Aren’t you in lecture? Shouldn’t you be paying attention to it?_ Seto said.

 _Aren’t you in a meeting? >:/ shouldn’t you be paying attention to that?, _Mokuba replied, and smiled as he tucked his phone away, Seto’s instant response left unread. He raised his hand to join in on the conversation around him. The move was a little sad, he had to admit, but it was going to mean the world and so much more. 

—

Pacing may have been undignified, but that didn't make Kaiba want to do it any less. Want, but not do. He remained statuesque in the lobby of the penthouse. The realtor stood by his side, nervous, trying to get a few words in even without her client listening.

"Mr. Kaiba, perhaps we should go ahead and your partner will—"

"Be quiet," Kaiba ordered, his thumb pushing into his temple to stop the headache from pulsating.

It was an understatement to say that Seto Kaiba disliked waiting. It was worse for things that he had set up in advance and was using his lunch hour for. Not that he expected to eat during it—he'd barely eaten the three days since he had discussed the move with Joey at dinner. His stomach was torn up, and the only thing he could stand was coffee or tea. The last thing he'd truly eaten was the toast that Joey had shoved in his mouth that morning. He liked to believe it was the concussion, even if he knew better. Because the nosebleeds hadn't stopped yet, either.

Kaiba turned his wrist over to check his watch at the same time that the doors slid open and Joey came running in.

"I'm not late," Joey said to the tired glare.

"You are."

"Am not. You said twelve-thirty."

"And it's twelve forty-seven," Kaiba said, revealing the watch face to Joey. "Let's go; we've wasted enough time."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wheeler," The realtor said in a perky, high-pitched voice. She had closed in on Joey, a brochure was shoved into his hands. They were ushered into an elevator that flung them up the tall structure. It was in the heart of Domino Plaza, within walking distance of most of the shops and restaurants (and KaibaCorp, Joey smirked).

"So there is built in privacy and security; the top floor can only be accessed through a special code, which you can set to whatever you'd like and it—"

"Unnecessary. We'd be installing our own security," Kaiba interjected, sharp.

"Ah, of course, well," the realtor cleared her throat as the doors opened up to a square antechamber with a single, white door with gold trim. A flight of stairs off to the far left side. Joey was looking out a high window, outlines of the buildings around them apparent but not completely in view. "All the space on the floor is to do with as you please, naturally. The wood floors are going to be changed shortly, unless something else is requested. There is access to the rooftop from here, already with a maintained garden and pool. We can view that later, for now why don't we—"

"We'd prefer to look it over alone," Kaiba said as the realtor slipped the key in the door.

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba. Take your time. I'll be out here if you have any questions."

She held the door open as Kaiba strode through. Joey followed in tow, muttering apologies and closing the door behind them. The brochure was opened up, and Joey skimmed over the amenities list before he pulled his head up and caught sight of the entire place.

The living room, just off a circular foyer, was as big as his current apartment. While there was no furniture, he could imagine the pieces from the manor and his own apartment, picking out how they may have been arranged. Where they may have sat in the living room, curled up on the couch next to the fireplace.

Where they could make a home.

What struck him most, however, was the ceiling to floor windows, light flooding into the space. The sky was overly bright and blue on such a cold day. It made every other building have a strong outline. The bay wasn't so far off from them, either. When he approached the windows, close enough to fog up the glass with his breath, traffic was visible several blocks away.

These views weren't unfamiliar. He'd spent plenty of time in Kaiba's office, staring out the window and trying to pick familiar locations like a game while he waited. This place was far more picturesque. It didn't have other skyscrapers in its wake, save for KaibaCorp out of a specific corner.

Joey felt Kaiba step up beside him.

"And here is the six million dollar view, Mr. Kaiba. Look at how close you'll be to the office!" Joey said, putting on the perky voice of the realtor. Kaiba rolled his eyes, though Joey caught the barest hint of a smile and a hum for his reply.

The blond stepped away and began to show himself around, finding all the necessary rooms, though it was dotted with extras that he was trying to imagine a use for. It was still far less than the manor, which he had yet to fully explore. Or would ever have the chance to, when they got this place. When? If? He couldn't recall which he'd said to himself.

He opened all he doors, whether they were to rooms unknown, kitchen cabinets, or walk-in closets. He made sure to test the plumbing, at one point in his journey, to see if that was going to be a comfortable experience. Throughout his walk, there was a distinct lack of Kaiba, though the brunet's footfall came from somewhere, the high-vaulted ceilings casting a distorted echo.

"Seto?" Joey called, finished with the back rooms. "Seto? Ya see the bedroom? Its pretty awesome. Got this little stairway down into a..."

Kaiba was found near the dining room, leaned back, weight supported by a half-wall; his body almost completely in slack. One hand was held in the other at his waist, the thumb of the left rubbing circles into the palm of the right, absent. He was poised towards the window, but his eyes looked at nothing, only reflecting the windows and the skyline. For a moment, his tongue poked out and licked across his lips.

It was a sight rarely seen, Joey realised. A privilege to behold. The executive was lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to the world around him. Likely thinking or calculating something completely intangible, solving problems that people didn't even know were problems yet. His thumb and pointer fingers formed 'L' shapes, boxing them around Kaiba. A mental picture was likely all he would have gotten. It was all that he needed, too.

He almost regretted to break whatever reverie his lover was in, strolling up to him and touching his elbow. "Seto?" Joey asked. Kaiba didn't appear surprised by the touch. Ever the omniscient automaton.

"Hm?"

"You see the bedroom?"

"I looked at it online."

"It's got a little study off of it. Perfect for ya. An' that way I can yell at you to come to bed," Joey snickered.

"Unlikely," was the hushed response.

"Yeah, well, it won't be without effort," Joey jabbed at Kaiba's arm. "Helluva view. Really somethin'. Could get used to it."

"Could?"

"Well, yeah, sure. Definitely, actually. I could definitely get used to it," he said, finding himself committing to the apartment. "Yeah. Yeah, we should get this crazy place. I don't think we'd find a better view anywhere. 'Cept maybe if we were in the pool. Wanna check it out?"

Kaiba shook his head. The blond arched a brow then shrugged. A frivolous thing he and Mokuba would enjoy more than anything. "Well, I'm good if you are. It's a place with no furniture right now, but it's got potential."

"Potential," Kaiba repeated. Joey wasn't put off by his lover's quiet nature; it seemed to define him as aware, calculating, and refined. But coupled with the absence of profound character in his voice, Joey wasn't sure what he was looking at. Maybe Kaiba was just...happy. Or 'content' as he put it, and this was the result.

"Hey, 'fore we get goin', I wanted to ask ya somethin'," Joey shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped back over to the window, admiring the skyline once more. "You know how the other day I went to my sister's wedding dress thing?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was talkin' to her after an' she mentioned how it was pretty much the one she wanted," his hands shimmied down his body to mime the dress, but pulled closer when Kaiba's reflection stepped closer. "See, she actually had another dress in mind, but it's sorta...pricy?"

"No."

"I didn't finish—"

"My answer is 'no'."

Joey's shoulders slouched, and he didn't catch the glare in the window before Kaiba turned away. "Would ya let me talk?"

"I don't care to hear what you're going to say."

Joey scoffed. "Oh yeah? What am I gonna say?"

"You want me to buy your sister's wedding dress."

The blond felt his eye twitch. Omniscient automaton. "Its not that expensive. Jus' expensive for her."

"Then why don't you get it?" Kaiba asked, his profile in view for half a second. Joey's lips thinned. "That's what I thought."

"Look, I promised her that I would—"

"Then you shouldn't make promises you can't keep," Kaiba said.

"Can't ya jus' cut the crap? Why are you so upset? You were fine a minute ago. Are you angry 'cause I was late? This your way of gettin' even?" Joey shifted away from the window, hearing Kaiba's heavy footfall as he walked away. "I'm wasn't finished talkin'!"

"But I am finished listening."

"That's too damn bad, 'cause boy do I gotta lot to say," Joey said, determined to make Kaiba listen. This was something that should have been easy. Kaiba seemed in the right mood for it. Moreover, it wasn't even about him. He wouldn't have asked for the money for himself, just for one simple gesture of kindness. Joey knew never to ask for money or expect anything extravagant. Even their gifts to one another were simple, lacking a price tag. That Kaiba was affluent just happened to one of the details of their relationship. That Joey couldn't care less for the finer things in life made it easier for him and Kaiba to get along. It created security, for Kaiba, in knowing that the person by his side didn't have any ulterior motives. "I know it ain't my money, but I never ask you for anythin'. Ever."

"My decision has been made."

"But it's not even for me! It's for Serenity!" Kaiba neared the door without pause. "I know you can hear me."

"Joseph, stop this nonsense," Kaiba's said. He stopped in his place, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose. He pressed his thumb into a blurry eye as the headache worsened. "I am not in the mood."

"When are you ever?" Joey asked.

"We are done with this conversation," Kaiba said, and he turned back towards Joey. The blond felt gravitated towards him then.

"You are. I ain't."

"I said 'we're done'."

Joey was chest to chest with the executive, close enough to incline his head upwards where the few inches between them became miles.

"Why is it such a big problem when I talk about money? Why is this always an argument? You're wantin' to spend God knows how much on this place," his arms swung around the apartment, "an' I jus' want to give my sister somethin' to make her happy. If you asked me t' do somethin'—anythin'—for Mokuba, I would do it in a heartbeat; no matter what it cost."

"That is _not_ the same thing," Kaiba said, his voice dropping to a disgusted, whispered tone. "You have no place comparing any of these things to your selfish wants. You've made promises you couldn't keep, with things that aren't yours, and did so without discussing it with me first."

"Oh, so that's it? That's what this is about? That I didn't get down on my knees and grovel to ya?" Joey grabbed Kaiba's lapels and squeezed them tight, their chests touching close enough to feel a heartbeat. "If that's what ya think is gonna happen, then you picked the wrong damned person t' drag into your bed."

Kaiba's hands folded around the fists, and Joey noticed two things: how icy-cold they were, and how they seemed to tremble and struggle when he tore the assaulting hands down and away. The blond stepped back, making distance, his anger waned to worry about what Kaiba's trembling hands might mean. Were they about to get into a physical fight? They hadn't had a even had a fight in high school, despite the numerous times it had been threatened.

"You are on thin ice," Kaiba jutted a shoulder forward, arm out reaching for Joey's wrist again, missing at the first grasp and landing on the second. His fingers were like wet noodles, tenuous and searching for something tangible. "This...this discussion...y-you have..."

The full weight of Seto Kaiba came bearing down on Joey with such suddenness that they both almost toppled over. The closeness allowed for him to wrap tight onto Kaiba's waist. Fingers clawed at any tangible piece of clothing to hook into, plucking past the leather belt and dragging his dress shirt out instead. The hold was secured as Kaiba stuttered a few paces forward, conscious somewhere, but unable to plant his feet down and turning pigeon-toed instead. Joey guided the limp body to the floor, folding Kaiba's legs to the side and adjusting him so that he sat upright, leaned against Joey's side. His head lulled into the crook of Joey's shoulder, chestnut hairs tickling his nose. A pale cheek, ice-cold like the hands before, surprised the exposed flesh it laid against.

"Seto?" Joey jostled Kaiba's shoulder. "Seto, what's the matter?"

Kaiba lifted his head, his eyes opened in narrow slits, darting back and forth. His hands flattened on the floor, fingers flexing wide and nails scrapping through the wood grains. The eyes squeezed closed again, Kaiba's face twisted in silent torment, beginning to settle as Joey raked his fingers through the chestnut strands, fixing them where they were displaced.

"I have a migraine," Kaiba said after so long.

"Is that why you're bein' a jackass?" Joey asked. His voice had softened, dropped to a hush. "That's why you're arguin'?"

"I was making a point," Kaiba said. He braced forward to stand, Joey guiding him upwards and taking a brunt of the weight where knees were still buckling. Kaiba's hands went behind and mechanically tucked his shirt back in. "Which you still don't seem to get."

"Stop it," Joey said. His hand pressed on Kaiba's shoulder and rubbed. "We can talk 'bout this later, when you ain't passin' out on me."

"I didn't pass out," Kaiba said. "I was perfectly aware of my surroundings I just—"

A kiss was planted, tender but firm, on lips that were much warmer than the skin surrounding them. His hands ran down Kaiba's cheeks and tried to press his palms' warmth into them. Their eyes locked together, and Joey kissed again, short and sweet.

"Stop tryin' to be right for two nanoseconds, a'right?" He asked. His hands dropped to envelope Kaiba in loose hug, forehead buried in his shoulder, sighing. "God, Seto, I love ya, but you're scarin' the shit outta me."

"I love you too, but I promise you, I'm fine," Kaiba said and embraced Joey back, craving the warmth of another body against his. Craving his earthy musk, undercut with the smell of motor oil and body wash, that permeated from the blond.

"Really, really? Like, this is all jus'...the concussion? You're really okay?"

"Yes, I'm really okay," Kaiba said. Joey pinched his lips, ready to contest that fact. His gut told him so. But his heart didn't want any more arguments today. "Do you still want this place?"

"Yeah, a'course. Why would ya think I wouldn't?" Joey asked. They pulled away from each other, and Joey wrapped his arm around Kaiba's elbow to guide them towards the door. "Argument here ain't any different than one at the manor, anyways. An speakin' of arguments...is it alright if we help Serenity t' get the dress she wants?"

"I'll think on it," Kaiba replied.

Joey nodded. That was good enough for him.

As they stepped out, they were greeted by the rapid fire questions from the perky realtor. Joey looked up and over at Kaiba's, his expression just as absent while answering her questions as it had been when the blond snuck up on him before. His left was even rubbing into his right again. Which only had Joey question what he had saw in Kaiba before—what he might have had been missing. What Kaiba wasn't telling him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter went through about six revisions....particular the ending argument with Joey and Kaiba there, because I had a completely different direction it went in at first, with the Argument actually turning physical, which just didn’t felt right. Dramatic, yes but....
> 
> As far the nature of the argument, oh boy, I always felt like these two could have that issue X10 if not handled right. Lord knows better couples have that issue.


	6. The Mountains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not on hiatus? I dunno, this just kinda came to me.

The week leading up to exams ticked by. Drained by, Mokuba thought, was a more accurate. It felt like every moment was a constant switch between replying to marketing's increasing question regarding the holiday rush, and the compounding essays and studying he was cramming into the last minute. He knew it was his fault for putting it off—that still didn't make doing it suck any less.

The only thing that seemed to be helping with that part was his choice of study location: Rebecca's apartment. It was much quieter than his dorm, as well as consistent as to whether or not he could be there. Not to mention larger. He wasn't confined to twin sized bed or a tiny desk in the corner. And while all of those amenities were nice, Mokuba knew the real reason he was there was because of the nicest part of the apartment: Rebecca herself. She could focus him just as well as she could distract him.

Tonight, like the last few nights, he found himself stretched out at the foot of her couch, hunched over her coffee table and tapping away at his laptop, feeling her feet brush at his back as she flipped through textbooks and scribbled into one of her thirty-someodd notebooks.

Mokuba leaned against the couch, his head flopped back, and smiled up to Rebecca. Her foot pushed between his shoulders and nudge him back towards his work.

"You can't come here and complain about having work and not do it," Rebecca chided.

"But I'm bored..."Mokuba whined. "And the PR team keeps emailing me about some stupid rumors...we should just stop and go get coffee."

Rebecca shook her head and nudged him harder towards the coffee table. "Stop reading work e-mails and keep writing. You said you're almost done."

"But they're more interesting. It's a weird rumor..."

"Stop working on work!"

"And what? 'Work' on my 'homework'?" He snickered.

"Yes!"

"Slavedriver," he snorted. Rebecca shoved her foot into his back, playful. Slumping against the edge, Mokuba over-exaggerated a sigh, eyes flicking back up to the screen. "Can we go when I'm done?" He asked.

"Maybe." Rebecca's sock-clad foot sat on Mokuba's shoulder, and he found himself turning to see her bare ankle, eyes tracing up her bare calf, up her knee, leading towards the hem of her skirt. "I'll proofread it for you while we're there."

"Okay," Mokuba whipped back around.

Despite all of Seto's accusations that stemmed from the picture he had sent two weeks, there hadn't been anything that had happened between him and Rebecca. He couldn't really even say what it was that they were doing, other than being study-buddies. Friends? Well, old friends, maybe.

They waves at each other in the hall, met each other in the mess hall, grabbed coffee at the edge of campus. And talked, and talked, and talked. So much talking.

Over text. Over Snapchat. Over the phone (old-fashioned, Mokuba joked), and of course, in person. In the two weeks since Mokuba had reacquainted himself with Rebecca, it felt like he had learned everything about her. She spared him nothing; her thoughts, her opinions, her observations.

She was cute.

It was even better that it wasn't one-sided. Mokuba could vent to her just as much. Any frustrations he'd held, and there had been plenty from the entirety of the semester, she listened to, swapping angered stories with him and hyping him up until they were both angry. It would end in a moment of silence, with them staring at one another, laughing about it.

They had hopped into close friends so easily, so quickly, as if they had constantly seen one another since they were ten years old.

Which was why, as he forced out the rest of his conclusion to his essay, he was surprised to feel her foot slip down his back and plant by his hip. The other settled on the opposite side, and she leaned in close to him, her hands raking through his hair, tied up in a loose pony-tail and cascaded down his back.

"Change your mind?" Mokuba asked.

"Nope. Keep writing." Rebecca's fingers loosely separated the ponytail into three parts. Distinctly, he could feel where she was began to braid the parts. A smile crept up onto his face. "I like your hair."

"Thanks, I...uh..."he turned to look at her. She palmed his face back towards the laptop. "I like yours, too." He winced at how lame the compliment sounded.

Rebecca chortled. "You have nice hair for a guy. Long hair suits you."

As she braided, she tugged at the hairs, gradually pulling him towards her, hands still stretched towards the laptop, fingers straining to type. "You're making this hard."

"You'll figure it out," she said. "Stay still, I'm almost done."

Each key was hit slow, his fingers dragging across the keyboard. Rebecca adjusted her knees to give him room. Mokuba leaned his head back, heart thumping at Rebecca's face engulfed in soft halo of light. Her hands dropped from his hair and traced up his shoulders, his neck, until they rested beneath his chin and craned him closer.

Rebecca's lips were warm and sweet, like strawberries. He was wrapped up in awe and surprise, almost forgetting to reciprocate and grinning, stupid, instead.

When she did break it, he was still staring at her lips, and his hands had dropped away from the keyboard to settle on hers. "Cut on your lip's all healed."

"Y-yeah?" He asked. His tongue slid over over it.

"Yeah. All done with the essay?" She asked.

"I think so?" Mokuba glanced at the flashing cursor. It was probably messy at the end, but it was close enough. "You uh...you wanna go get coffee now?"

Rebecca leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had thrown the braid over his shoulder and was playing with it. "Sure. You can vent about those stupid PR rumors."

"I'd rather kiss you, instead."

"Okay."

—

"Oh my gosh! Look at this! You remember this?" Téa exclaimed, throwing an old magazine into Joey's lap. It toppled the two stacks of DVDs that he had been sitting in front of him, one for the 'keep box' and one for the 'donate box', as it landed. He swept up the cases and tried to rearrange them, but just let them fall again as Téa scooted closer to him.

"'Course I do. Why ya think I keep it in the nightstand?" Picking up the magazine, Joey smiled to himself as he gazed over the cover. A picture of him, Yugi, and Kaiba emblazoned across it, posed excited and wild, Duel Disks brandished for maximum advertising space on the small cover. "This thing took for- _ever_ to finish. But, I mean, I got my picture on a magazine, which is cool. Mailed it to Ma an' everythin'."

Behind him, Yugi had pulled more boxes into the bedroom, shoving another one out into the hallway. "Remember this, Yug'?"

"Remember what?" The tri-coloured haired man stepped closer. Joey brandished the magazine. "Oh! Yeah! That was a fun day."

"'Fun day' he says," Joey said. Turning down to the magazine again, he found himself regarding Kaiba's face with a softness, though he knew when he first received a copy of it, he hadn't thought much of looking at Kaiba in the slightest, even if the executive had been shoved between him and Yugi for the shoot. "I don't think you an' me remember it the same."

"No?" Yugi asked. He knelt down beside Joey and Téa, taking up the DVDs that Joey had been organising and putting them in boxes. "The tournament was really fun."

"Tournaments are always fun," Joey said. "I'm talkin' 'bout the photo shoot part. That was a damn nightmare. Worth it, but a nightmare. Sheesh."

The magazine was handed off to Yugi who regarded it as Joey had, and he smiled, turning to his friend. "You mean the photo shoot? Or Kaiba?"

"N-no." The blush bloomed up Joey's neck, caught as soon as he started mentioning it. Téa giggled and took the magazine from Yugi, throwing it in a box he had deemed as 'want to pull out again soon'.

The room was a complete mess, broken down into pieces and piles, scattered to be packed away, thrown away, or donated depending on what corner of the room they were in. One particular corner had several black garbage bags already piled up, ready to be dragged into the living room and, soon, disposed of. For such a small room, and apartment, Joey had a penchant for collecting things should have been thrown away, but just got pushed to the wayside.

"Okay, fine, maybe. But I wasn't datin' him then," Joey said. "He was jus' bein' his prickish self. 'Do this', 'do that', 'why are you taking so long?', 'move Wheeler, you're in my light'."

"He wasn't that bad," Yugi replied, sheepish. "Maybe a little bit demanding but..."

"There ain't no 'a little' with him, Yug'," Joey said. With the last of the DVDs packed away, he stretched a long strip of tape over the box, sealing it up and patting the sides. "I mean, c'mon, ya see the place I'm movin' into with him? That's downsizing."

"For him," Téa said. "It's a lot smaller than that mansion."

"It's still huge. Like, I still don't know what we're gonna do with all the space. We're jus' us. I feel like he's got somethin' else crazy planned for it. Like, I dunno what, but it's Seto. He's got plans on plans for things like this. I'm jus' bein' roped in...maybe I shoulda said 'no' to this place."

Joey complained about the new apartment, but it had been the only thing on his mind, other than Kaiba's sudden fainting spell, the last few days. He imagined himself peering out the huge windows to a snow-laden cityscape. Or sliding around the wood floors in his socks. Or sitting by the fireplace, cuddled up on the couch while Kaiba inevitably overlooked some work document while he hammered away at a video game. Thinking about it, even amongst his fiery complaints to his friends, brought a tight lipped smile to his face.

It was Téa's laughter that sparked Yugi's, and Joey felt his friend knock him against the arm. "You don't mean that," Yugi said.

"Oh, I do," Joey said.

"Joey..."

"What?"

One of the boxes was held between Yugi's hands, displaying it to Joey, and his sheepish grin grew a little wider. Joey grumbled, waving the smaller man off as if it meant nothing. But the fact that there sitting in his bedroom, boxes surrounding them, picking through his things like they were searching for lost treasure, meant a lot more than words were capable of expressing.

Finally, after a few beats of silence and a bit more packing, Joey said: "I really do appreciate ya guys helpin' me this."

"It's no problem. You helped Téa move in with me," Yugi replied. He had moved to one of the shelves and was using newspaper to bind up a small collection of figurines, some Duel Monsters, some various video game collectibles. "I'm surprised Kaiba is pressing you to pack so quick."

"Eh...it ain't all him," Joey said. He was tossing through his clothes, dumping a majority of the drawers straight into a box. Téa tutted him, sliding over to start rearranging the clothes and fold them to fit better. "I mean, he put the offer in, but I don't think we're doin' any of the movin' 'til after Christmas. Maybe not even New Year's."

"Aw, Joey, that's cute," Téa cooed. The blush on Joey's neck painted itself up onto his cheeks. "You're excited to move in with him, aren't you?"

Joey stifled a laugh. His ears were red now, he was sure of it. "Nah...what makes ya say that~?"

"You are!" Téa said. "It took you guys long enough. You know, if you're so eager, you should get him to move quicker. You guys could celebrate Christmas together in your new place. Wouldn't that be so awesome?"

"Ehhh..."

"Oh! Speaking of Christmas," Yugi interjected, seeing where Joey was drowning in Téa's questions. "We're having a party at our place in like, a week. The 23rd? White elephant gifts and stuff. You think you and Kaiba would join us?"

"Hell yeah," Joey said. "I'll definitely be there; can't say if Seto will be with me though."

"Whatever you can manage," Yugi said. "Tristan and Bakura said they'd come."

"Sweet. Ya know, I can prolly get Duke and Serenity to come too, if that's okay," Joey said. "Oh, an' Mokuba. He's comin' back home for break."

"The more the merrier!" Yugi agreed. "And if you can get Kaiba to come, that'll be even better. We'd all be together again."

All of them together again for Christmas? That would be pretty fun. More than fun! Absolute excitement. It had been a long while since they had actually all managed to show up at one place, no matter how well they kept in touch with each other. People just scattered. It was one of the things about growing up that no one prepared him for.

The last drawer was opened up, and Joey was sorting through it, tossing some of the articles of clothing he knew that he never wore towards the garbage bags. "I'll see. Might make Mokuba convince him or somethin', but this time of year he's jus' so damn busy, ya know? I ain't seen or heard from him in like, I dunno, three days?"

Téa's smile was ear-to-ear, her laughter floating around the room like little bubbles and popping near him. It was infectious, tickling at the bottom of his stomach. The last drawer was emptied into another box.

"You two really are cute, you know that?" Téa asked.

"Yeah..."Joey sighed out, and he sank back to the floor, looking over the mess of his room and, in continuance, out towards the disassembled state that his living room was just beyond the hall. They may have had their heated moments, especially over Kaiba's ridiculous demands of himself at work, but at the end of the day, Joey knew that it was just because of how much he missed him. And, he believed, Kaiba must have missed him in return. Why else would they make-up? "Jus' don't go tellin' him that, a'right? He may flip out a bit."

"Oh, I won't," Téa said, but her flippant laughter suggested otherwise.

"I'm serious. He—"As Joey spoke, his cell phone began ringing, and he pulled it from his pocket, eyeing Kaiba's contact. "—musta heard us talkin' 'bout him. Jeez, talk 'bout speak of the devil. I'll be back in a sec."

"No rush," Yugi said.

Picking himself up off the floor, Joey walked out into the living room and flopped onto the couch. "Hey, Seto. What's up?"

"I need to see this evening," Kaiba demanded. Curt, abrupt. Joey blinked, and he tried to decipher what Kaiba's tone was. It wasn't uncommon for him to make these swift demands and, sometimes, after a fight it was this sort of haughty behaviour that almost worked its charm. But this wasn't haughty. Or angry. It was strangely worried and endeared, but also distracted. "Did you hear me, Joseph?"

"Yeah, yeah. I did, I jus'..."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. Sure. We can go to the place ya like since I picked last," Joey replied. Would that make Kaiba more at ease? If he was so rushed about whatever was going on, familiarity may have been easier. Joey was probably overthinking all of it. It was probably just the holidays.

"Sounds fine. Seven?"

"Yeah," Joey leaned his elbows on his knees and bit at his thumbnail. "Everything alright?"

"Yes." Somehow, with the sudden emergence of the secretary's voice in the background, Joey couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong, especially as Kaiba hushed her.

"You sure? This is sorta sudden and I—"

"Do you not want to go?"

Joey shook his head. "No, it's not that I just..."he sucked in a breath. Did he really want to argue with Kaiba about going out to dinner just because the executive was in a bad mood? Was he even in a bad mood? Joey couldn't tell what this was. "I'll be happy t' see ya. Meet ya there at seven?"

"No. I'll have a car pick you up." Kaiba said. The secretary was still try to speak in the background, and Joey heard a distinct 'will you be quiet' hissed from Kaiba. Joey tried not to be interested, and asked:

"Worried I'll be late?"

"Something like that," Kaiba replied, harsh voice lessened to a playful lilt. "I'll see you tonight, Joseph. Dress appropriately."

Joey rolled his eyes. "See ya, Seto."

The line went dead, and Joey pulled the phone away from his ear, staring down at Kaiba's contact photo—a blurred mess where he had attempted a sneaky selfie of them together and was caught—his lips twitching between concern and happiness.

Then another thought hit him, burying the concern, and he bolted up from the couch. "Guys! Did we pack my dress shirts?"

—

It had started snowing by the time the car arrived. First snow of the season, Joey thought as he climbed in, and even though it was a little later than normal, it felt like the dinner was a perfect way of celebrating it. 

The entire car ride, he fiddled. With his coat sleeves, the collar of his shirt, the way his hair laid. He tried his best for Kaiba, even if the man hardly acknowledged it. Joey always thought, so long as Kaiba said nothing in the negative, he was in the clear.

The car pulled in front of the restaurant. The last of the adjustments made to his collar as he hopped out of the car, eager to reach where Kaiba stood beneath an awning wrapped in silver Christmas lights. He was awash in the glow, almost otherworldly.

It would have been much better if he wasn't in the middle of a phone call.

"...as soon as I'm able," a pause, "don't presume to make demands of my schedule. Whether I left now or in an hour is inconsequential. It's already being dealt with, and public relations can—"another pause, with Kaiba pinching the bridge of his nose before dropping his hand again. "So you went behind my back? No, that's exactly what that sounds like, so stop talking. You're embarrassing yourself."

Joey touched Kaiba's elbow before sliding his hand down, prying the executive's clenched fist open and slipping his hand in. Kaiba shifted his grip, letting their fingers interlock.

"Do as was already directed and funnel all questions to me," Kaiba sighed, his eyes squeezed closed. "No! And if you send him another e-mail you had better start training your replacement." The call was ended at that, his phone shoved into his coat pocket. "Let's go."

"S'everythin'...?"

"It's fine," Kaiba replied. "We'll discuss it in a minute."

A maître'd lead them towards a table tucked in a private corner. Menus were laid out and drinks were ordered to get rid of the waiter in haste. Once he was gone, Joey leaned forward, pulled in by his lover's wavered stare.

Kaiba looked haggard at best. His hair was neat in place, but it lacked sheen. His eyes were rounded with sleepless, purple splotches which, against his pallor, looked more like bruises. "Have ya slept since I last saw ya?" Joey asked.

"Enough to get by."

"What's goin' on?"

"I need to go out of town."

Joey leaned back in his seat. "That's why ya needed t' see me?"

"And I wanted to have dinner," Kaiba said. "But mostly, yes."

The tension that had been wound up in Joey's chest sprung out, and he took in a relieved breath. Even laughed. "Ya were so quick on the phone, ya had me worried it was somethin' bad."

"Last time I went out of town, you made a fuss."

"I did not."

"You did, Joseph," Kaiba affirmed. "And right now I don't need any more of it."

"What's that s'pose t' mean?"

Kaiba pressed his lips closed as the waiter arrived back with drinks, and he stole up the wine, more than greedy to take it. They ordered, sending the waiter away in haste again.

The whole time, Joey couldn't place what was wrong with Kaiba. Something had him wound up, even if he appeared collected on the surface. He was speaking a little too fast, a little too rough, just like he was on the phone.

"Seto?"

"It means I don't need another argument," Kaiba clarified. "I don't understand why you get so upset about it anyways."

"Maybe cause I miss ya, you dolt. You leave outta here like a bat outta hell sometimes, an' ya don't always tell me when ya do, or for how long." Joey's fingers slid down the side of his glass. "Is that such a bad thing?"

Kaiba leaned his head to one side, assessing Joey with a careful glance, before sighing. "I suppose not."

Joey smiled. "See? It ain't that hard to understand."

"It's still ridiculous. You know I leave; you know I get busy." Kaiba was peering down into the wine glass, half-empty, bringing it up beneafh his nose. His eyes narrowed as he looked into the dark liquid, though he was quick to set it down again. "We've discussed this plenty of times."

"An' ya know I have a nine to five and ya still get mad at me about it. What else is new?" Joey asked. "I jus' wish you'd call sometimes. Let me know you aren't dead."

"I'm sure the news would let you know if I had died," he said, with mirth in his voice, followed by a brief, impish grin.

Joey choked on a sip of water. He hated Kaiba's dark sense of humour. "That ain't funny."

Dinner came out not long after, Joey pulling his plate close to him, taking the fork through with vigour. He hadn't eaten all day from packing, having ordered a pizza for Téa and Yugi, but too lost in his own thoughts and Kaiba's phone call to remember to eat himself. It made the food all the more mouth-watering.

"So," Joey said between bites, "how long will be ya be gone, exactly?"

"I don't know." Kaiba cut into the steak, but Joey caught how he eyed it as if it were still a live creature. "It's sudden. I'm going to the same place as last time. Something's come up."

"So it's prolly gonna be a week at least."

"I don't know."

"Its almost Christmas."

"I'm aware," Kaiba said. He wasn't making eye contact which, in and of itself, wasn't strange. The way he kept looking at the food before taking a bite (and Joey was thankful to see him eat) was. As if he had no idea what he was doing.

"Ya think it can be less than a week? Or, ya know, at least before the 23rd?"

"Why?"

"'Cause Yug' invited us to a Christmas thing; says he'd like you to come," Joey broached, his own nervousness overtaking his curiosity of Kaiba's behaviour. "Everyone's gonna be there."

"'Everyone'," Kaiba repeated.

"Yeah, everyone. Mokuba even, when I tell him. Which reminds me: he's gonna be here in, like, three days. You ain't gonna be here for that?" Kaiba hummed, looking at another cut piece, his quizzical glance almost dissecting. "Yo, Seto, ya listenin' to me?"

"He can handle himself. You'll still be here, anyways, and I'll still get to see him. He'll be here through New Years." Joey groaned and, as the fork was turned, reached out and grabbed it from Kaiba's hand, taking a bit of the meat at the end before handing the fork back. "What did you do that for?"

"'Cause you keep lookin' at it like it's gonna eat you instead."

"It tastes odd."

Joey, still chewing, shook his head. "No it don't. Unless ya finally realised that well-done is like leather, ya heathen."

"And eat it raw like you?" Kaiba curled his nose and set the fork on the edge of the plate before shoving it away. The waiter was called over with a small motion, Kaiba aware that they were never too far away. Joey reached across to smack him on the hand.

"I'm still holdin' my ground on this one," Joey said. "I'm right, you're wrong."

"Hardly."

The blond chuckled to himself, scooping his fork to the plate while Kaiba passed the plate back to the waiter. Profuse apologies followed, with little input from the executive, denying any kind of compensation in return, even as the waiter offered that something else could be made. Kaiba brushed him off with a brusque 'I have somewhere to be' and kept his eyes to Joey until they were left alone.

"So you're jus' not gonna eat?" Joey asked.

"I'm fine."

"No, ya ain't," Joey said. He set down his utensils and cleared the space on the table between them. "Look, I've had a concussion before, a'right? Ya made sense the first few days, but now? I'm worried 'bout ya. You're passin' out on me, ya won't eat. I seen blood on your handkerchiefs the other day. Are ya still havin' nosebleeds?"

"Joseph."

Joey grabbed his hand, and he felt Kaiba try to flinch away, only to grasp it further down onto the table. "There's somethin' wrong with ya. Do you feel your hands? You're like a block of ice. I thought maybe it was just the other day, but it ain't."

"Joseph, you're being ridiculous." Kaiba pulled his hand away, over the edge of the table and into his lap.

"I'm bein' the exact opposite of ridiculous," Joey leaned forward on the table. "You ain't in the condition to go on a trip. Send someone else t' handle it."

"I can't."

"Ya have, like, well over 2000 employees. There's gotta be someone else that can go for ya. Ya don't have to do everythin' yourself."

Kaiba scoffed. "Some matters are so delicate that only I can handle them; I don't need anyone else's half-assed attempts screwing them up."

"Mokuba's gonna be home in three days," Joey said, switching his argument, knowing it sounded like he was grasping at straws as he begged to find a way for Kaiba to stay home. "What am I gonna tell him, huh? That I let you go out on a business trip while you're 'bout ready to pass out?"

"You'll tell him nothing." Kaiba pressed his body against the table, his hands rested on the edge and pulling at the tablecloth. "He doesn't need to worry about me, because there's nothing that needs to be worried about. What's happening to me is minor in comparison to what might be happen to the company if I don't address this _now._ "

Joey didn't recoil to his boyfriend's expanded presence. It hadn't been the first time that Kaiba tried to intimidate him, nor would it be the last, but the seriousness cutting across the hard lines on his face didn't feel right compared to the lack of energy behind his eyes. Trying hard to put up a front over the chinks in the armour.

"Fine, whatever. Go," Joey said, and he leaned back in his seat. He crossed his arms. "But ya admit you're sick? There's somethin' wrong with ya."

Kaiba didn't recoil from his position, though his hands drew up onto the table. "Nothing serious."

"Yeah, right," Joey scoffed. "Will ya go t' a doc about it?"

"I don't see a need; nor do I have the time."

The blond snorted. "You can make time. Make people make time for ya."

"I'm leaving out as soon as we'e finished here," Kaiba said. "I'm going to be completely occupied until I get back."

"Then call one when ya get back," Joey said.

Kaiba shook his head. "Not until Mokuba's left. Like I've been saying, I don't need him to worry about me." Joey wasn't sure what the obsession was with Mokuba not knowing, nor did he feel comfortable not tell the younger Kaiba. "So you won't be telling him anything while I'm gone. I need you to give me your word."

"Seto, I dunno if..."

"Joseph. Your word."

Joey bit his lip and cast his gaze to Kaiba's hands, curled up onto fists. The closest thing he could find to begging in his boyfriend's steeled voice. "Fine, whatever, yeah. I won't tell him. Just like I said before, okay? But ya gotta promise me two things," he held his hand out, displaying a pointer finger up. "One: ya gotta actually see a doctor about this."

"After Mokuba's gone back to classes."

"Fine, yeah," Joey nodded. A second finger ticked up. "Two: be back by the Christmas party," Kaiba's lips parted, with Joey imagining that he was about to be denied on that one. "It's a week away. Whatever you're handlin' can't take that long, an' I'm sure ya wanna see Moki anyways. We gotta show him that place an' everythin'," Joey smiled, seeing how the hard lines on Kaiba's face dissipated. "Promise me that, okay?"

Compromising with Kaiba wasn't as easy as it with other people, and Joey had known that from the start. Mokuba had told him that their decisions always sounded more like they were negotiating the terms of a merger, having been present when they settled their arguments. These compromises were far and few between, on matters that felt capable of ending them. And, of all the full-blown arguments they'd had—and the 'break-ups' that the media had reported—he was almost proud to say that they were more capable of realising the severity of their situation and finding common ground when it was absolutely necessary to do so.

Because they loved each other, Joey thought. They were just both terrible at showing it.

Kaiba sighed. "Fine. I'll do what I can."

Joey smiled, reaching over to touch Kaiba's hand. "That's all I want."

The rest of the dinner went on with quiet conversation, Joey forcing Kaiba to share the dessert that he ordered, hoping to see his boyfriend put more in his stomach than wine and the after dinner coffee. As if he needed to continue to be awake. But Joey wouldn't argue that, not as he beamed over the compromise.

After, he walked with Kaiba to an awaiting car, Isono rounding about it and opening the door for them, letting them slip in. “We’re taking Joseph home first,” Kaiba told the faithful suit. 

The travel bag sat with them in backseat, Joey noted with a frown. Kaiba was leaving straight from dinner, not even giving them night together. The car took off down the road, and he grabbed Kaiba's hand and scooted close to the executive, leaning on his shoulder.

"Whatever this is better be damned important," he said, and gazed up, his frown deepening.

Joey's fingers knit into Kaiba's, threading good and tight, squeezing at the cool fingers in hopes of warming them just a little bit. It was the only way he could keep trying to tell Kaiba about how scared he was. He brought Kaiba's hand to his lips, kissing at each knuckle, sparing glances expecting to look up and see a small stream of blood pooling on Kaiba's lip, but it never came. 

"'Cause seein' ya like this is killin' me..."

"It is, Joseph."

A breath, with Joey simmering in that thought in silence. He shifted about and reached up and kissed the corner of Kaiba's mouth. The executive turned his head, allowing for the next kiss to be on the lips. "You're a stubborn bastard, ya know that?" He asked, barely breaking the space beneath them. "Ya better be back soon."

Kaiba smirked beneath the kiss and pressed down, his arms straddling along each side of Joey and pushing him further down into the seat. Even with his eyes closed, Joey could hear the sound of the partition raising.

"I will," Kaiba said, and he pressed Joey to lay against the seat. "Now stop talking."

"Make me."

The kisses were sweet, and though Kaiba's hands were cold, Joey still writhed beneath them, to the touch that pressed against between his thighs up and traced against his groin, riling him up. He backed up along the seat, giving the both of them more room.

A night they wouldn't have, but at least for a few moments, in the time that it took them to get home, he could drown his fear and his worry in ecstasy. He enveloped himself in the soft touches, wrapping himself up in his boyfriend and holding just a little tighter than normal, as if letting Kaiba go meant that he would be gone forever, not just a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a weird meandering plot with random moments that are slice of life, but I def have stuff going on.


	7. The Rocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t find myself putting warnings very often but I feel i should give you a heads up. 
> 
> Hate speech/homophobia and related violence will happen in this chapter. 
> 
> Rating has changed accordingly.

For Mokuba, the last three days were nothing but exams and hustling. Exams and coffee. Exams and Rebecca. Laying his head on Rebecca's knee while cramming every last bit of information into his brain, even though he was convinced that he knew the material. The longer he studied, the longer he got to stay cuddled up against her while her fingers ran through his hair.

Every moment he didn't spend in class was spent near her, and she didn't complain. She didn't even try and push him out when her roommate was home. He was there so much that he almost didn't remember what his dorm room looked like, and only stopped in for the basic things he needed. Almost all his books were left at Rebecca's. His laptop. His notes. Everything short of a fresh change of clothes.

When the alarm went off at eight in the morning on his final exam day, Mokuba turned over on the floor, face-to-face with Rebecca's feet. One of them nudged his shoulder.

"You gonna go to take your final or what?"

Mokuba groaned. "Alarm just went off..."

"Only for like ten minutes first," Rebecca snorted. "When's the exam?"

"Got 'bout an hour," Mokuba said. He got up from the little nest of blankets he laid on, crawling and over to his little pile of belongings. He scooped up things he thought he would need, shoving them into his bag haphazardly. "Why do they makes these things so early...?"

"Most people operate pretty well in the morning," Rebecca replied, met with another moan from Mokuba as he pulled on a hoodie over his t-shirt. "Well, I mean, I said 'most'."

She sat down beside Mokuba, giggling at him as he registered that he had fallen asleep in his jeans after searching for them for half a second. After, he thumbed through a pile of his textbooks, knocking them over in increasing frustration to try and find one needed.

"You seen my Ethics book?" He asked.

"Ethics?"

"Yeah." Mokuba sat back and yawned. He rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Business ethics. M'allowed to use it on the test."

"Why even have an exam at all if it's open book?" Rebecca scoffed. A half-hearted shrug and 'I dunno' came from Mokuba as he looked through the books again, studying the titles. "I haven't even heard you mention that class—is there really such a thing as business ethics?" Mokuba shrugged. "Anyways, I don't think you ever brought the book over."

"Ugh..."his head dropped to his chin as he whined. "I gotta go to my room then. Bet it's in there."

"You gonna have time to make it?"

"Yep. S'not far," he yawned. "Exam shouldn't take long either. I'll prolly be back in an hour or something."

"Just meet me at the coffee place?" She asked. "I have to finish up something before my final at two. You can tell me how boring it was then, okay?"

Mokuba nodded, hitching his bag over his shoulder. He went to leave, stopping mid-turn and looking down at where Rebecca still sat, giving her little warning before he planted a short kiss. She blinked, cheeks pinked with blush.

"W-was that okay?"

"Of course it was, stupid," Rebecca batted his knee. "Now go on, before you're late."

Mokuba ran out of the apartment, jogging across a snowy campus ground as fast as he could force himself. Fast enough that he almost hadn't heard his cell phone ringing until he reached the doors to his dorm.

Digging it out, he beamed at Seto's name displayed. Excitement woke up him more than the cold or the exercise combined. "Hey, nii-sama."

" _Hey, kiddo."_ Mokuba thundered up the stairs to his floor. " _You called?"_

"Only like...thirty times in three days; you haven't responded to anything."

" _I read your texts. I've just been busy."_

"Yeah, yeah," Mokuba sighed. He reached his door and unlocked it, greeted with a stale, sweat-laden smell. He glanced around the mess the room had become, unsurprised that Asshole had overtaken most of the space, even using his bed and desk as extra storage space for his crap. Nor was it a surprise to find Asshole lounging on the bed, poking at his own laptop. They shared a glance and nothing else. "I almost started to bug Joey about where the hell you were. Is everything okay with you guys?"

" _We're fine. Just apart at that moment."_

"Apart?" Mokuba arched a brow, kneeling down at the foot of the desk, sifting through a mess of different books, DVDs, notebooks, and piles of clothes. Anything that may have concealed his ethics book. It didn't wane his suspicion as he asked: "...what's that mean? What did you two argue about this time? Nii-sama, if you—

" _No. It's not that, I just had to head out of town,_ " Seto replied. Mokuba sat back on his heels, cursing to himself as he moved to Asshole's side of the room.

"Oh? That kinda sucks," Mokuba said, absent. As he searched around the floor, Asshole moved his feet off the bed, almost stomping on his hand. Mokuba glared up at Asshole. "How long are you gonna be gone?"

" _I can't say. Shouldn't be more than a week._ "

"That doesn't sound that bad," Mokuba nodded, shouldering the phone to free up both hands. "So you'll be home for Christmas then?"

" _With any luck_ ," Seto replied.

Hearing Isono in the background, and Seto replying to him, Mokuba turned the phone against his shoulder and took the risk in asking Asshole: "Hey, you seen my ethics book?"

Asshole stuck out his tongue. "Do I look like I keep track of your shit, richboy?"

Mokuba's nose curled, holding back his want to throw a book at Asshole's head. "You coulda just said 'no'."

" _Said 'no to what?"_ He heard Seto say as he turned the phone back to his ear.

"I was talking to my roommate," he said, giving Asshole the finger. "What did Joey say when you told him were going out of town?"

" _The exact same thing you did._ "

"What? Be home for Christmas?" Mokuba chuckled. The items on his bed were shaken off, thrown to the floor with little care of what they were.

"Hey, that's my—"Asshole protested, but Mokuba didn't hear him over Seto talking.

" _Does that really surprise you?_ "

Mokuba shook his head to himself, laughing. "Nah, not really."

" _As I told him: I'll see what I can do. It's...something that needed immediate attention_ ," Seto said.

"That bad, huh? Anything to do with those e-mails I've been getting from PR?" Mokuba asked.

" _Somewhat,"_ Seto replied. " _They shouldn't have been sent to you in the first place. Delete them, it's been handled."_

"Why not? I'm here to help, you know," Mokuba said, suspicious of the answer.

" _Because you're in classes and don't need to focus on trivial matters."_

Asshole stood in front of him, and for each step Mokuba made, he followed. Mokuba sidestepped him, nudging him out of the way as he started to rifle through a pile on Asshole's desk to find his book.

"Trivial? Is it really trivial if you're running off at Christmas to handle it?"

" _It's trivial in comparison to other projects. Mostly people not owning up to their own shoddy workmanship. It's,"_ Seto paused, mulling over his words, " _it's something that should pass over once I'm back."_

Mokuba didn't like how he phrased the statement. 'Should' was a word that Seto used rarely, as bad as 'I don't know'. He would have almost preferred to hear that his brother didn't know, and that it was an ongoing issue. At least then he would have an idea to Seto's stress and gauge what he could do over the break. That Seto told him nothing at all, bypassed details and left him with it 'should pass' made Mokuba's stomach clench.

"You can talk to me about it," Mokuba said, wanting to be his brother's shoulder to lean on. "From what I read there was something going on at a production factory up north? Something about...fish? Or, I dunno, the e-mails had some funny pictures attached."

" _You really don't have to worry about it. People exaggerate; you get caught up in PR and marketing's little rumour mills sometimes."_ Mokuba could see Seto rolling his eyes and snickered.

"That's 'cause they're hilarious; they send me all the garbage you don't want to listen to," Mokuba said. He moved over to Asshole's desk and shoved a lump of clothes off of it, letting them fall into the waste bin below. "So it's just rumor? There's not two headed fish or anything like that?"

Seto had began to answer, but Mokuba didn't hear him, focused more on Asshole as he growled something about 'get outta my shit'. Mokuba rolled his hand away. "Hold on a sec, nii-sama," he said, and pressed the phone to his shoulder again, asking Asshole: "Don't you have any manners? Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"Oh yeah, with who? Your faggot brother?" Asshole shoved his shoulder. "Get your hands off my shit. You might be contagious."

Gritting his teeth, he prayed that Seto didn't hear Asshole's slur. "You want me outta your shit then help me find my book," Mokuba bargained. Asshole sneered at him. "No? Didn't think so."

Returning the phone to his ear, Mokuba shook away the prickling and continued his search. How happy he would be to get away from this prick for the holidays. It wasn't as if he planned on staying in the dorm after that—he'd get an apartment instead. One close to Rebecca's, preferably. "Sorry, Seto. You still there?"

" _I am. Is everything alright over there?"_

"It's fine," he said, and grinned as he found the book sat underneath Asshole's computer monitor, keeping it steady. He snatched it up, knocking over the monitor in the process. "Like I said: dealing with my stupid roommate."

Never was Mokuba more grateful to hear his brother speaking to Isono in the background. The back of his hood was yanked on so hard that it had dug into his throat, cutting off air for a second. Had he been talking, or had Seto been listening, it would have become apparent that Mokuba had been thrown backwards, juggling the book and the phone, tripping over his bed and falling onto it.

Rubbing at his throat, sparing Asshole none of his enraged glower, Mokuba sucked in a tight breath and even his words. "Hey, I actually gotta head into an exam. I'll call you when I get home?"

Seto's attention returned at the right time. " _Be sure that you do. Be safe. I'll see you in a few days,"_ Seto said. " _Love you, kiddo."_

Mokuba attempted to say his good-byes, but wasn't given the opportunity. He hurried out an 'I love you' before he ended the call. A fist struck him hard from the left, blacking his vision as he curled up on the bed. Another fist struck him in the jaw, though his legs scurried to pull himself upright while the comforter constricted around him while he writhed.

The phone dropped from his hand, but the Ethics book, a thick paperback textbook, was still clutch in his hand. Mokuba used it to bludgeon Asshole away, swatting at him until Mokuba could slide off the bed and down to the floor.

"What the fuck's your problem?"

Another fist was thrown his way, knocked down with a slap from the book. Mokuba took the opening pop Asshole in the nose. He reeled backwards, wiping his nose on his wrist. "Faggots like you and your stupid brother. Pushing their stupid agendas. What the fuck's he doing now, huh?"

As Asshole rambled, Mokuba grabbed his phone from the bed, tucking it into his pocket. His eye was beginning to swell, he was sure that it would bruise. How was he going to pass that off to Seto? "I bet he's poisoning the water. Isn't that what's happening up north huh? People are all getting sick because that faggot's doing something stupid huh?"

"Shut up. What the hell are you talking—"

Mokuba was stupid to turn his back to Asshole. Rule one of self-defense, he thought, don't let your attacker have an opening. He was tackled to the ground as he headed to the door, his chin hitting something hard enough to rattle his teeth and make bright spots appear in his eyes.

"No, you're gonna shut up and listen to me," Asshole said. A palm was on the back of Mokuba's head and pressing his face into the carpet. "You rich assholes think you can just do whatever the hell you want and the whole world is just gonna jump? Huh? Don't think people like me can't see it. You're gonna turn everyone in whole world like him? That's what you're doing to the water..."

Mokuba tried to lift his head up, writhing around beneath Asshole's body as it straddled him. His face was slammed into the carpet. Drops of blood began to sink into the fibres.

Fear and anger fuelled him, raising on all fours and bucking Asshole off the side, kicking him as hard as possible in the shin. His leg was grab, used like a rope to be pulled closer to the Asshole.

Somewhere along the way, the assault became a mess of fists and shouts, all of which were unintelligible, ignorant, and rage feeling. All the self-defense he had learned seemed to come back too late, feeling blood fill his mouth, his nose. His vision was fading fast and his head pounded. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Somewhere along the way, Asshole had gotten his hands around Mokuba's throat and everything went completely red.

When he awoke, he wasn't in his dorm room anymore. He assumed he had run, snow filling the backs of his shoes and soaking into his jeans. He tripped, his ankle throbbing and palms scuffed as he sat, dumbfounded and a little absent, in the middle of the front lawn. People were standing around him, asking him if he was alright, trying to help him up. He had managed to take his Ethics book with him, he realised, as it laid face-down, its pages sopping up the snow beside him.

"...ba?"

He pressed his hands into the snow, numbing his torn knuckles. Did he fight back that hard?

"...kuba?"

Something warm enveloped him, their chilled hands sat on his swelling cheeks. He looked up, unable to figure out who was in front of him in the mess of his swimming vision. He scampered away, shaking his head and immediately regretting it.

"Mokuba? What happened?" Rebecca. He could vaguely make her out when he recognised out her voice.

"...I...I need to go home..."

Rebecca pressed her scarf to Mokuba's face, dabbing at the blood dripping from cut on his forehead. "You need to go to the hospital."

"No, I need to go home," he said, strong and sure. He could make out Rebecca's wobbling face. She was frowning; she looked cute even when she was frowning. "Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. But...but I'm going with you." Mokuba pulled close to her, hugging her tight.

"Okay."

—

After one day alone in the austere dullness of the manor, Joey knew he was going to go insane. It was exactly the reason that he hated Kaiba leaving. The rooms became overly large, as if it could have taken him an hour to wander from one end to the other.

It wasn't as if his apartment was very viable, either. His haste in packing had left nothing short of a maze in his apartment. Electronics were unhooked, clothes had been packed, amenities had been taken out. Even the bed frame had been taken apart, and while he could have still slept on the mattress on the floor, being alone in the remnants of his apartment, a constant reminder of where he was going to end, was almost worse than being at the manor.

At least he could smell Kaiba at that manor. And curse the executive loudly until his voice echoed off the ceilings, to the amusement of the maids.

Mokuba couldn't get there any sooner. They could curse Kaiba together, because he was sure that Mokuba would be just as happy as he was to learn that his brother had dashed off. He didn't have the heart to tell him yet, though he had been texting Mokuba sparingly, talking about nothing important. Sharing GIFs and jokes mostly. Having developed the mindset of Kaiba, much to his annoyance, Joey found himself not willing to 'bother Mokuba's studies' as if it was a cardinal sin.

By the third day, he was grateful that Serenity had invited him to grab a bite with her so they could catch up. He raced out of work to meet her there, knowing it was a way to avoid going back to the manor all together, at least for a few hours.

What Serenity failed to mention was that the dinner was a 'planning dinner' as she called it when he arrived to find a million catalogues spread across a wide table in corner booth of the bar. Nor was Serenity was alone—Téa and Mai sat with her, already laughing and smiling, offering her choices and arguing with one another over centre pieces, invitations, and dinner menus.

At least he could get a drink. Or three.

"I really want peonies," Serenity said.

"Peonies are cute, really, but you should do roses," Mai suggested. Another sip of the beer in front of him.

"But peonies are lighter," Serenity said. "See, I can get them in this cute pink and yellow. Maybe have some hydrangeas? I could make them match your guy's dresses. Wouldn't that be so cute?"

There was a shared grimace between Téa and Mai. Joey didn't have to see their bridesmaids dressed to know that they were clearly not too thrilled with the colour choice; at least they were subtle, looking to each other when Serenity was flipping through another catalogue and making notes.

"You can have light roses," Téa said. "Like, do a light pink and maybe even white?"

Mai shook her head. "Not white. White means something bad. Like death."

"No it doesn't. It means chastity or something," Téa replied. "Doesn't it?"

Serenity shrugged. Joey took another drink of the beer, looking down into the bottle as he realised it was empty before setting it on the table. "Sorry Joey. We don't mean to be boring."

"You're not bein' borin'. You're talkin' 'bout flowers. Roses or peonies?"

"Yeah," Serenity nodded. "What do you think?"

"Uhh..." Joey leaned forward, looking over all the little sticky notes Serenity had placed on the corners of her catalogues. "Can't say I really know what a peony looks like so...my vote goes to rose. Are we votin'?"

"We can be."

Joey grinned, laughing at himself and shaking his head. "I'm here for moral support, Ren. Don't try an' get me all involved in this. I don't know what I'm talkin' about." He stood up, ready to get another beer from the bar.

Serenity grabbed Joey's arm to hold him down. "No, don't go. I want your opinion," she said. "You have a different perspective."

Joey snorted. "I got a man's perspective. If it were up to me, I say get in your dress, go buy some flowers from the corner store, grab Duke and run up to the church. You'll be happy, he'll be happy and I don't gotta wear a tux."

"You're impossible," Serenity giggled, slapping his arm mercilessly light, shoving him as he stepped out of the booth. "Is that how you're going to do your wedding?"

Three beers may have been three too many. He wasn't a light-weight by any means, he and Kaiba drank plenty of wine in the past, but he was confident he had soared through some part of a conversation without hearing anything.

" _My_ wedding?" Jounouchi's brow arched. "When did I start gettin' married? Did I miss somethin'? Hold on, let me check with Seto here a sec..." As he pulled out his phone, Serenity looped her arm around his elbow and yanked him back into the booth. It didn't take much to wobble him down into the seat and lean against Serenity's shoulder.

"That's not what I mean, silly."

Joey lifted up. "Whatcha mean then?"

"She means whenever it actually happens, hun," Mai said. Joey tried to scoff, but it sounded more like he was trying to hock up something, ending with a cough that sputtered out. At least he didn't have a drink in hand; beer would have been all over Serenity's catalogues. "What? You don't think it will?"

"We're jus' movin' into a place. Ya know how long it took for that t' happen?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying. Kaiba's making moves."

"At a snail's pace," Joey argued. "Marriage ain't somethin' happenin' anytime soon, a'right? The man is a boulder. I can't shove him nowhere."

"But it could," Mai suggested, wagging her finger at him. "If he's asked you to move in, what's the next step?"

"Mai, c'mon, don't do that to me. Don't make me answer that." Mai bit her lip, eyes glinted and mischievous. "No, no, Don't look at me like that, neither, a'right? This ain't about me. This is Serenity's weddin' stuff. Mine would just be imaginary."

"What would you want at your wedding?" Serenity asked. Joey looked to her, then to Mai, and then back again. His face began to grow warm. "Like, what kind of flowers would you and Kaiba have?"

"I—I dunno, Ren. I'd...me and Seto would have t' talk 'bout it. An' he'd prolly hire some exclusive weddin' planner and stuff an'..."

"What would _you_ want, Joey. Just you?" Mai asked. Joey thought on it for a moment, almost ashamed to be excited at entertaining the ideas. His finger tapped at his chin while he squinted at the ceiling. And then looked down at the catalogue that Serenity had been looking through. He began to turn the pages.

"Well, lemme think here," he said, slow. Each page turned with consideration. The ladies leaned closer to him as he scanned each glossy page, and seemed on top of him when he pointed down to a page. "These look nice...these? Chrysanthemums. I like 'em. They ain't too much, an' I think Seto would like 'em, too."

Téa had her hand at her mouth, giggling throughout the entire conversation. Blush formed on Joey's cheeks, thinking about what he had been talking about with her with and Yugi a few days before. "Don't say it," he warned her. The other girls looked over at Téa as her hands clasped tighter over her mouth. "Don't say it, Téa."

"Joey, I can't help it!" Téa said, hands slamming on the table top. "You two are so cute. Like, so much cuter than I ever thought you'd be."

Palming his face, really wanting to go to the bar and grab another beer, Joey found himself still tied down by Serenity's grasp. He was also bowled over by her beaming smile as she hugged against his arm.

"Téa's right, you know. You two are adorable. Really. Mai said to look for what you'd want and you _still_ thought of Kaiba? That's really sweet of you," Serenity said, finally letting go of his arm. "Do you think you'll ever get married?"

The heat from the embarrassment, and the beer, seemed to wash away at that question. It didn't drive Joey cold, but he couldn't really say what it was he was feeling as he mulled it over, head bowed to the different kinds of catalogues and all the little wedding details that, in the right moment, he could see himself and Kaiba pouring over with the help of Mokuba or a snooty wedding planner. He could hear them arguing over where the reception was going to be held, making compromises over guest lists, and Kaiba's protests as he tried to force feed the executive more pieces of cake than was necessary, just for the experience. A warm feeling grew in his stomach, spreading up to his heart and swelling until he almost couldn't breathe.

Slowly, Joey nodded to himself, knocking his head to the side, unsure, before finally settling on a vehement nod. "One day. I think it'll happen one a' these days." A round of 'awwws' erupted from the girls, and Joey's cheeks bloomed red again. "A'right, a'right, that's enough. I ain't had enough to drink for all this..."

Before Serenity could stop him, Joey slipped out of the booth and headed up to the bar, leaning on the counter and playing with his phone while he waited for a bartender to notice him.

He was tempted to text Kaiba, even though every text he'd sent the last few days had been left on 'read' or received clipped replies, because he had a feeling Kaiba may have answered questions regarding marriage. Or he may have thought Joey was having a stroke, that was another possibility. Neither of them had ever entertained the thought of marriage, even as they were moving in together, though they joked about it on occasion with friends.

Joey nixed the idea altogether, left staring at the blank cursor of the text box, thinking that maybe Kaiba would be berate him instead, given their current circumstances. He didn't want Kaiba to think that the illness was the driving force behind the question. That Joey may have wanted to jump into marriage out of pity or fear. Even if, Joey considered with great reluctance, maybe he was. Because what would happen between them if Kaiba got bad news?

Joey's thoughts were stalled, thankfully, by an incoming text from Mokuba. That would be a welcomed distraction, even if it was just another stupid meme about college exams.

 _J! I need u to pick me up from the train station! Now!_ Mokuba sent.

Joey furrowed his brows. _I thought u were in 2morrow morning?_

 _Something bad happened. I justwanna be home..._ Mokuba sent.

_Bad? How bad? U ok Moki?_

_Just come to the station. Plz? TnT_ Mokuba replied, followed by: _just you?_

Turning away from the bar as the bartender arrived, Joey hustled back to the table, the ladies already back to arguing about flowers. "'Ey, I gotta run out guys, I'm sorry."

Serenity's head shot up. "What's up?"

"Mokuba decided t' come home early. Apparently he's already at the station."

"You sure you're okay, hun? You've had a few," Mai said, sliding out of the booth. "Here, let me..."

"Nah, I'm good." Joey snatched up his coat and threw it on. "I'll call ya in the mornin', okay Ren? Tell me what flowers ya settled on!" He yelled as he headed out the door, not even sure that Serenity heard him.

Climbing into the car, Joey was racing through town, his eyes wide and alert as he could be. He knew he was cutting corners, changing lanes a little too quickly. He'd almost clipped a car in a swerved left turn, the snow still making the streets a mess. The adrenaline pumping through his body left him scared, but sobered up. Twitchy and with a lead foot. Not even sure what it was he should have been scared of with Mokuba's vagueness.

Something bad? Just him?

What was bad to Mokuba? The kid had went through plenty of chaos before he was even a teenager and had managed to come out better for it in the end. Joey feared that this was another kidnapping attempt or...worse...

Shaking nauseating thoughts away from his mind, Joey was aware that whatever was going, Mokuba wanted more than some faceless chauffeur bringing him back to house. He needed someone to cling to and must have known that Kaiba wasn't available to him.

Pulling up to the train station, parking a little haphazard, Joey ran up the platforms. His feet gave out from underneath him, sliding on a thick collection of snow and ice, and he landed on his knees. Passersby stopped to help him up, but he bucked up on his own, following the arrows inside the station to the one that pointed from the line that Mokuba would take back from his college.

The platform was a mess of people walking back and forth, entering an exiting trains that seemed to leave an go in the blink of an eye. It was noisy, disorienting. He pulled out his phone to text Mokuba and ask where he was.

"Mr. Wheeler!" A female voice shouted. Joey looked away from his phone. "Mr. Wheeler! Over here!"

Joey cocked his head to the side. "Over where?"

Cautiously, he took a few steps towards an eastern wall, where the people were less thick. A row of metal benches sat against it. "Here," the voice softened, and a blond haired girl came up to him, grabbing his wrist. "Hey, awesome, you got here quick."

"Rebecca?"

Rebecca smiled. "The one and only," she said as she yanked him over to one of the far benches. There, he recognised Mokuba, though not with his face. He had it covered by a hood and sunglasses. His bag, emblazoned with the KaibaCorp. logo, sat by his feet. "He's here, Mokuba."

"Hey, kiddo, what's up? What's brought ya home early?" Joey asked.

Mokuba stood up, approaching Joey with a mild limp in his step. He fell into into the blond's chest, his chin settled on Joey's shoulder as he hugged tight around him. He hugged Mokuba back, squeezing, patting Mokuba's back. "Moki? What's goin' on...?"

Rebecca had looked down to the ground, her hands wrung at her waist. Anxiety filled Joey, and he held Mokuba at arm's length from himself, looking him over. Even with the sunglasses, he could see the myriad of bruises covering Mokuba's face, a different split cutting down his lip, red and fresh. His hands reached up, knuckles having taken their fair share of abuse, more than one punch thrown. "Ya got in a fight, didn't ya?"

"Kinda..." Mokuba replied, rasped.

"How ya kinda get in a fight, kid?"

Mokuba shrugged. "Just sorta did..." The sunglasses were removed with a wince, dragged across a cut on the bridge of his nose. Both eyes were rung with shades of purple and black, the left swollen closed, the right a little worse than bloodshot. Joey reached out, almost brushing Mokuba's cheek but stopping when he flinched away. Even bruised, Mokuba's eyes were filled with tears. His teeth clenched and body shaking as he let out uneven breaths.

"What happened?"

Mokuba buried his face into Joey's shirt again, wincing from his own force. Joey's arms wrapped around him again, and he looked to Rebecca for answers.

"His...roommate isn't very, um..." Rebecca looked down to her skirt, plucking at loose strands. "He isn't very tolerant."

Joey felt his heartbeat in his ears, anger rising. "Tolerant? The hell's that mean?"

"Of the LGBT community," Rebecca said. "Or that...Kaiba is...open, I suppose."

No matter how delicate Rebecca tried to put it, Joey could feel himself clenching tighter around Mokuba, wanting so badly to grab the kid and point him in the direction of Asshole, even if they were more hundreds of miles away. He could imagine himself beating Asshole to a pulp on sight, venting his frustration, redeeming Mokuba in the process. That was just him. He could only imagine the sort of fury that Kaiba would have; Asshole would be wishing he would have never been born, and it wouldn't take fists. He could see Kaiba ruining him, his family, and any future prospects he thought of having.

"Don't...don't tell nii-sama..." Mokuba stuttered, as if reading Joey's mind.

"Moki, he's gonna see this."

"He doesn't have to know why." Squeezing tight, to the point that Joey almost couldn't breath, Mokuba said: "Promise you won't tell him why."

"Mokuba...”

"Promise me!" He shouted into Joey's shoulder. He could feel the words in his ribs, breaking off as Mokuba's voice cracked, rasped in pain, inflected with sorrow and worry. How could he say no? It wasn't like he could say no to Kaiba, either.

"Yeah...yeah, kid, I promise."

These brothers were going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah...not much Seto in this chap, but he’ll come back in. At the wrong time I’m sure.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chap. Til next time.


	8. The Hard Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the drama continues

The entire ride home from the train station was quiet. Mokuba curled in the backseat with Rebecca, saying very little other than to show her pictures on his phone. At one point, she had set her hand on his chin and turned his face to her, making him look her in the eye as she pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed it around the small cuts on his face.

It was such an odd and bittersweet thing for Joey to watch in the rearview, his hands tightening and loosening on the steering wheel as he kept looking between them and the road. Rebecca was sweet and tender and, at the same time, demanding Mokuba's attention the moment that his chin slipped to his chest.

When they got home, Mokuba stepped out of his shoes and set his bag on the floor, head tilted back and swollen eyes widened as big as they were able while he scanned the foyer.

"It's not Christmas in here yet?" Mokuba asked.

"Christmas?" Joey asked. He hadn't really thought about the house being decorated, though now it seemed glaring. "Huh, guess not. Your brother was prolly waitin' for you t' get home first or somethin'."

"You guys should have set stuff up! That's the first thing we're doing tomorrow morning. I'll have the staff get stuff get down all the supplies," Mokuba said. He drifted towards the kitchen. His hand stayed entwined in Rebecca's, dragging her along with him.

She was stunned to silence, slack-jaw and looking at every detail in the house as she walked. Joey supposed he was immune to it now, having been in and out of the house often; the soft shades of blue and white, accented with a light coloured wood and splashes of marble, did lend to a cozy, but opulent, place to call home. Not that it was going to be home much longer, Joey thought. Which meant the Christmas decorations would be torn down as the manor was being pulled apart and packed away.

"I ain't got an excuse for why your brother hasn't done nothin', but me? Ya really want me t' set stuff up?" Joey asked as he followed. "I have no idea where even t' begin in this place. I've jus' popped over when it's all done, ya know?" Four Christmases, give or take, and he had no idea what the routine was here. "What gets all gussied up and what don't? Do all the bannisters get decorated, or just the front ones? What about the outside, huh? You let me at it an' I'm gonna make this place a real eyesore."

Mokuba grinned through swollen cheeks. "Well, first we gotta go pick out a real tree. Wouldn't be Christmas without a real tree. Then we all need to decorate it. Ornaments, garland, lights. Oh! And those popcorn strand things," he said. A secondary thought, to his rumbling stomach was: "Do we have popcorn?"

Joey shrugged. "Prolly somewhere. Check your snack cabinet."

"Promise you haven't touched it?" Mokuba asked. He dug through the kitchen cabinets, the first time that he had let Rebecca's hand go since they had gotten in the car.

Joey raised his fingers, crossing them. "Don't like your snacks anyways, kiddo."

Mokuba stuck his tongue out, leaving it hanging as his tongue ran over the split in his lip. His entire face was raw; his body ached in places he didn't know it could. Worse, he didn't know the extent of what happened after he blacked out, nor had he stuck around to see what he may state he left Asshole in. His knuckles suggested that he had done some kind of damage; he hoped it was plentiful, and there wasn't any regret on how bad it may have been. The only regret was skipping out on his exam; maybe an e-mail would work. Maybe it wouldn't, but in the moment, finding himself shivering in the snow with Rebecca holding him close, nothing felt more right than just going home.

All of that made him want to run upstairs, curl up in his bed, and sleep until his brother came home. Until he could come to some clear headed conclusion about everything that had went down and how he was going to handle the aftermath. The only thing stopping him was Rebecca; she had followed him all the way home and, while he hadn't anticipated it, he had liked it. Love it. Loved her for doing it, being so selfless.

"So, what, we gotta get this place ready before Seto gets home?" Joey asked. He floated out of the kitchen, towards a bathroom.

"Yep. Whole nine yards," Mokuba said. While he hadn't pulled out popcorn, he had grabbed a bag of chips and unfurled it on the counter, offering them to Rebecca as he did. Rebecca shook her head, unfocused and looking around at the house with the same awestruck look.

"This place is so cool," she said. "And huge...do you ever get lost?"

"Nah. I mean, I did as a kid but not now. I could show you around," he said. "I really wanna take you to the media room; it's got a bunch of fun stuff we can do. Like, all the games."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Mokuba said, taking a handful of chips. As soon as he started eating them he winced. Rebecca's attention snapped to him.

"You okay?"

A small, white box slid between them, a small red plus sign on the front. "Yeah, gotta imagine from the looks of things that your mouth's a little tore up," Joey said. Mokuba's fingers poked his cheek. "Please tell me ya whacked the crap outta this sucker."

"I...think so."

Joey opened the first aid kit, asking Rebecca to grab a wet washcloth. She was quick to grab it. "Good, 'cause if he ain't limpin', I'm gonnamake him."

"It's alright," Mokuba chuckled. The wet washcloth was pressed to his face, gentle dabs cleaning off any of the dried blood he hadn't already taken care of. "Thanks, though. I...I got this one."

"Is that right?" Joey asked, skeptical. He moved on to cleaning out the cuts with antiseptic. Mokuba hissed, but stifled any more complaint. "Does that mean there's been more than one? Like...when you sent me and Seto that one picture where your lip was cut?"

Mokuba's head bowed. "Sorta?"

"Wait," Rebecca interjected. "When me and you first met up, you said you got into it with your roommate; was that for the same reason?"

"Kinda."

"It either is or ain't," Joey said, softening. He made Mokuba tilt his head up and around, checking for anything he may have missed. "Gonna guess it is though."

Mokuba shrugged. "What's it matter? It's over with now."

Joey wished he could have agreed with Mokuba, but as he took the teen's hands and began washing them, he couldn't help but be press a little further. "So what happened; did he come out swingin' jus' cause or...?"

"He said some stuff about nii-sama."

"What kind of stuff?"

"You know. Stuff," Mokuba' replied. His chin fell to his chest, his lips thinner and face veiled by the mess of hair. Though Rebecca had explained it, summing up the words was a lot more difficult in front of Joey. He hadn't been named directly, Mokuba knew, but as he had fought against Asshole's slurs towards Kaiba he had, inadvertently, been fighting for Joey, too. He couldn't decide whether he was proud or miserable—he didn't want Joey to somehow blame himself that this had happened.

Seeing his dismay, and Joey's struggle to finish cleaning Mokuba up, Rebecca shifted around to stand beside Mokuba, pulling all of his hair away from his face. Slowly, she ran her fingers through his hair, careful not to pull it too hard as she began to braid it.

"Ya don't have t' tell me," Joey said. "Not if ya don't want to. What I do gotta know is what we're tellin' your brother since we ain't tellin' him the truth."

Rebecca sighed. "You shouldn't lie to him at all."

"I know," Mokuba said, sharp. "But...he doesn't need to worry about this."

Joey swallowed a laugh. Where had he heard those words before? As Mokuba tilted his head up, any amusement on Joey's face fell away in lieu of focusing on placing small butterfly bandages on the cuts by his brow, wondering if there as really anything else he could do other than let the bruises heal on their own.

"I don't think I'm gonna lie to him anyways. I can't really; I'm not that good at it. I think I'm just gonna tell him we got in a fight."

"That's it? Jus' won't tell him the details?"

"Sometimes there's not a reason for anger," Mokuba said. His fingers ran over the bandages, pressing them down. Joey lowered Mokuba's hand. "We've been through that before. He'll be a little upset, prolly want the kid's name but I'll just say...I dunno...campus police is handling it or something."

Once Rebecca had finished braiding his hair, her hands wrapped around Mokuba's elbow, her chin rested on his shoulder. Even if she was silent, she had been sharing glances with Joey, shaking her head gently and fighting exasperation. Joey, in response, kept his expression calm and subdued, feeling the weight of this promise.

"Ya don't think he'll badger either of us till one of us breaks?"

"He's going to. I'm just not going to tell him if you're not," Mokuba glanced to Rebecca. "You all done? I kinda wanna just go pass out for a while."

"Yeah, all cleaned up." Joey packed up the supplies, so many words held back. He suspected, with the way that Rebecca was leaned against Mokuba and eyeing him from the side, that whatever he wanted to say would still end up being said, just not by him. "Don't look half as bad as it was, though ya may feel it in the morning. Tends t' stiffen up a bit the next day."

The wet washcloth was rinsed and rung out. Joey went to the fridge, opening up the freezer and grabbed a handful of ice, balling it up in the rag and pressing it against Mokuba's bruised eye.

"Thanks," Mokuba muttered. He took the cloth from Joey and walked out, Rebecca holding tight to his arm.

Joey leaned against the island, the butts of his palms pressed into his eyes until he could see sparks of light against the darkness. They dropped away, and he sighed, pulling out his cell phone and typing out a quick message to Kaiba.

_Moki's home. :) He brought a friend with him._

He didn't wait for a reply, nor expect one, sticking the phone back in his pocket. For once, he didn't want one. Because that was another thing that would end explained, that had gone unnoticed amidst the chaos. Mokuba had just brought home a girl. Something that, as far as Joey was aware, he had never explicitly done. Had girlfriends? Sure, that came with the territory. The teen was overly friendly at times, but he kept himself guarded. Whoever he was with had been a story, or if they were lucky, in pictures soon deleted off his phone but forever on the internet. Rebecca was likely the first girlfriend to have ever set foot in the Kaiba estate.

She was blissfully unaware of this as Mokuba dragged her upstairs, forgetting his promise to show her the media room and making a beeline to his bedroom instead, inviting her inside.

For as much as he wanted to talk to her, all of his words were lost in an embrace as soon as the door closed, his hands tightening around wads of her shirt. Rebecca stood in pause, arms frozen at her sides, before wrapping them around him.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I couldn't even tell Joey...you did..."

"It's okay." Rebecca guided him to his bed, sitting them both on the edge of them, sinking into the soft mattress. "It's not easy, I bet."

"It should be."

"You told me, didn't you? That's something."

"I guess."

Rebecca sighed as she released him. "I wish you'd told me he was doing this stuff sooner. I would've let you stay at my place from the get beginning," she assured. Mokuba shrugged. "I mean, I wish you'd told campus security, too, but..."

"What were they going to do?" Mokuba leaned back, holding himself up on his palms and lulling his head towards her. His hand clenched around the chunks of ice, fingers chilled and flinching. "Thanks. You know. For everything."

"No problem." Rebecca leaned close, her hand pressed over his and squeezing. She smiled, kissing his cheek. "You didn't seem like you wanted to be alone."

"You uh..."his cheeks burned warm. It dawned on him how strange this all was. As if he'd just woken up in the middle of his bedroom with a girl next to him, holding his hand and kissing his cheek. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I am."

Mokuba chuckled. "So uh...I was gonna head to bed; you want me to show you to a guest bedroom?"

"You want me in a guest bedroom?"

Rebecca was so innocent and quiet about her question. Carefree, considerate, kind. With other girls he might have thought they were just trying something, but not her. "No. Not really."

"Okay."

Mokuba kissed her, a little wide mouthed, his hands pulled up to cup the back of her head and hold it in spite of the small sparks of pain. Rebecca shimmied closer, resting her hand against his knee.

—

The entire first day had been an on and off sleeping session, as if Mokuba he hadn't slept a wink in the entire semester. Really, he just missed the feeling of his own bed and the ambiance of his room, familiar and coddling. By extension, he missed all the details of the manor. The permeating sound of silence that he could frequently hear Joey breaking somewhere downstairs; the light scent of something natural, like the forest after a short rain.

Any time that he wasn't asleep, he was wandering the house with Rebecca beside him, showing her around to every room and committing them to memory for when they inevitably packed everything up and moved. If that was the plan; he didn't see any reason for Seto to keep the place sitting empty unless he had something else in mind for it.

On the second day, they spent a majority of their time in the media room, glued to a television and playing old video games. When Mokuba would begin to drift off, Rebecca would let him rest his head in her lap, continuing their save while occasionally looking down to eye him, finding him awake and watching. She would laugh and offer him the controller, to which his head would turn towards her knees and his eyes would close, drifting back off again.

It wasn't until the next morning that they found themselves both asleep, tangled in each other on the couch. Rebecca laid face down on Mokuba's chest, still clutching the controller. A loop of battle music played in the background, the sprites bobbing on screen waiting for her selection.

Her head popped up at the sound of a knock on the doorframe.

"Uh...hope I ain't interruptin' nothing?" Joey asked.

Mokuba shot up, toppling Rebecca with a yelp. "We weren't doin' nothin'!" He announced, wiping drool from his cheek. Rebecca slapped his shin.

"Sure ya weren't," Joey snickered. He leaned in the doorway. "An' me an' Seto ain't woke up in that _exact_ same position." Though, Joey thought, they were lacking clothes in the process.

"No," Mokuba said, and shot a playful glare Joey who looked off to the side with a sly grin. "Don't even go there."

"Go where?"

"I know how to close the door," Mokuba said. "You two never do."

"I mean, we do sometimes. Knockin's a thing, ya know. You heard me knock."

"Joey, you are impossible..."

Rebecca was already beet red, eyes flicking between the pair and asking several false starts, unable to come up with the right words to address what sounded like a playful fight.

"I'm jus' sayin'," Joey said, hands held in surrender. "Makes me think of me an' your brother, ya know? Jus' that whole thing in general. All cuddlin' an' watchin' movies. Playin' games. It's uh...cute."

"You're so embarrassing!" Mokuba groaned, throwing a pillow at Joey. It was knocked aside.

"Aw c'mon! It's a compliment. Take a compliment!" Mokuba moaned and flopped back onto the couch, finding Rebecca's glasses in the process. He handed them over. "Though, I mean, Seto has a tendency to be able t' disappear while I'm asleep so, I mean, I guess it ain't completely the same. You two do this whole thing the way it's s'pose to be done," he beamed.

Another exaggerated moan escaped Mokuba as he stood up, taking hold of Rebecca's hand to help her up as well. "What's up, Joey? Why'd you come 'knocking'," Mokuba said, air quotes included. Rebecca giggled.

"Headin' over to Yug's. Gonna do some party prep; figured you might wanna come since there ain't nothin' better t' do."

"Party?" Mokuba asked.

"Yeah. White Elephant Christmas thing. Yug' invited ya by the way; figured you'd want t' help out a bit first."

All of the embarrassment fled from Mokuba, but he was hesitant, his cheeks twinging at the stiffness of his bruises. Everyone was going to ask questions. But he nodded anyways. It had been months; he wanted to see the friends he had left behind for college.

A quick look to Rebecca said that the girl was just in love with the thought. "You even don't have to ask. Of course we'll go!" She turned to Mokuba. "Go get dressed! Let's go!"

Less than a half an hour later, they crammed into Joey's car and drove over to the Turtle Game Shop. Joey smiled at the building, feeling the same wash of nostalgia and excitement he always did when entering and making small talk with Solomon, who manned the front desk, before they passed through and headed upstairs, following the raucous laughter that took up the whole house.

In the living room, Téa sat on the floor, shearing through a long sheet of stripped wrapping paper, glancing back at Yugi before throwing a bow at him. "Help me! C'mon. There's so many of these stupid things."

"I am! I am!"

But his actions said otherwise, with a variety of designs laid across the coffee table showed off to Tristan who, even with a pair of scissors in hand, wasn't providing much support as far as party favours were concerned. He and Yugi went back into intense conversation over Yugi's designs, laughing at something unheard, with another bow thrown at them.

"Save that for the party," Joey chided, stepping upstairs. He shifted out of the way to let Rebecca side-step up, her hand clasped tight around Mokuba's.

"Yugi!" Rebecca screeched. "I haven't seen you in forever! Oh my gosh! I missed you so much!"

"Rebecca?" Yugi balked. Téa pouted, standing up and shifting over to his side on the couch, the box and wrapping paper still in her hands as she stifle began to wrap it up. Yugi was sheepish, waving to her. "It's been a while. What uh...what brings you here?"

"She's with me," Mokuba said. "Hey guys. How's it been?"

If Mokuba didn't know better, he'd have said that the temperature dropped in the room, all eyes on him. His hands tucked in his pockets, and he forced up a lopsided smile, feeling like he had somehow betrayed them and had sudden re-emerged in their lives.

"Mokuba...?" Téa began, quiet.

"Woah! Where'd you get a shiner like that, kid?" Tristan asked.

Téa reached around Yugi, shoving his shoulder and shaking her head. Like they were all going to stay as silent as possible about it. Yugi looked between all of his friends, gauging the room before settling on Mokuba with an empathetic smile, hand out to offer a seat as a middling compromise. Mokuba appreciated the simplicity, but settled for rocking back and forth on his feet, weighing his words.

Joey spoke for him. "By kickin' ass, that's how. Now," he plopped in front of the coffee table, scanning over the game designs that Yugi had laid out. "What are we workin' on?"

The tension lasted for several more seconds, as long as it took Mokuba to take a seat in the living room and begin to help them make a handful of paper ornaments and other miscellaneous party favours. He kept the space that was needed between Téa and Rebecca, catching the girls glare and make passive-aggressive comments towards one another, passing glances to the other guys in the room as they began to chat loudly about anything and everything. It devolved into an amalgamated mess of loud, overlapping conversation, with Mokuba lost in the jovial feeling that he had been missing in the months away. It was the sort of lifting feeling that he needed, second best to having been able to see Kaiba as soon as he got home.

It didn't go unnoticed by Joey who, from the get go, had every intention of pulling Mokuba into whatever conversation he may have bowed out of. That had been the point of bringing him, with the fear in the back of his mind that Mokuba was swimming in his own sadness since coming home. Joey thought perhaps his demeanour was calm because of Rebecca. They had a quiet disposition towards one another, leaning in close and speaking their own language, complete with waving hands and giggling just for the sake of it, until they fell over one another.

It was a feeling he was missing, desperately, because of its familiarity. Kaiba may not have been the giggling type, but his face had a way of moving, his brow a way of arching, that Joey understood explicitly. Sure, it had taken time to read it, and sometimes he still had trouble when Kaiba was in a more pensive mood, but he enjoyed that level of intimacy. Speaking without saying a word. Sitting in complete silence for random periods of time and, in the midst, enjoying the feeling of each other's hands and mouths as they slipped comfortably on the couch and then, without any precursor, jumping into conversation and playful arguing about nothing, as if they had been talking the entire time.

A week was a long time when they weren't angry at one another.

"So did you ever get around to asking Kaiba if he could join us?" Yugi asked.

Joey nodded. "Yeah. He was kinda wishy-washy. Ya know how he is. 'I'll do what I can'," the blond said, miming Kaiba by deepening his voice and glancing at Mokuba who, in turn, rolled his eyes. "Didn't seem opposed, jus' his usual anti-social self."

"He's coming," said Mokuba.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Joey replied. He felt like Kaiba would keep his promise, given the severity of things, but he was never sure. Not when he still couldn't get his boyfriend to reply to a text.

Mokuba cocked a grin. "I'll make sure of it. Promise."

Joey chuckled. "Teach me that one day; it might come in handy."

Yugi smiled, clapping his hands together. "Well, it sounds like we got just about everyone coming!"

"Like, literally, everyone. It's gonna get cramped," Téa mentioned. Yugi shot her a quizzical glance. "I may...have invited Mai, too."

A small nod and hum from Yugi who, in turn, seemed to measure the space with his eyes. His grin became a little beleaguered. "Well..."

Mokuba peered around the small living room, with a portion of its space taken up by the Christmas tree, and he tried imagining everyone in there. He didn't even know who 'everyone' was, but it felt like a lot of people. A lot more than a Saturday night D n' D campaign around the kitchen table.

"You know, I can assure that Seto shows up _and_ we have enough space," Mokuba said. All eyes turned to him, with Yugi's most curious. "Joey said you guys were helping him move the other day, since we're basically moving out of the mansion. It'd be nice to have one last big Christmas there. House is already decked out anyway."

An odd suggestion, Joey thought. Not much different from Téa's suggesting they hurry it to their new place. And while he liked the idea, he shrunk at the thought of Kaiba, in his sickened state, being exposed to everyone else. Everyone who was just as fervent in worry as he was. Yugi seemed to read his apprehension.

"Will Kaiba be okay with that?" Yugi asked.

Mokuba shrugged. "Dunno. Probably not completely. But if me and Joey beg him? He'll deal with it."

"If you're sure," Yugi said.

Mokuba gave a thumbs up. "We'll even tell everyone to come over, if that helps. That way they don't just think you're pulling their leg," he glanced to Joey, lips thinning as he saw how Joey had stopped cutting paper to pull out his phone, hammering out a text. "Right, Joey?"

Joey head shot up, and he looked around at everyone, smiling reflexively. He wanted to do this, he just didn't know if it was going to go over so well with Kaiba. "Yeah. Yeah! 'Course we will! This is gonna be fun," he said, standing. "Hey, I'll be right back. Gotta take a leak."

And he hurried off to the bathroom, forcing himself forward, feeling Mokuba's eyes drilling a hole in his back the entire way. The door was closed, his back pressed against it. He listened to the phone ring, praying he had caught one moment that Kaiba felt like picking up. When he didn't, Joey tried again. And again, too frustrated to leave a voice message.

—

The factory was old. Older than Kaiba by a long shot and, before he had wrested complete control of KaibaCorp. he knew that it had once been used as a munitions factory. A fresh coat of paint, and one complete restructuring later, it seemed to be brand new. A shining example of progress. Having walked through it repeatedly, however, in the last five days, Kaiba could see still the scars of the past. Sectors of the building that weren't being used to their full potential. Archaic design, pointedly dull and prison-like, that still needed to be revamped. Executive offices in the upper levels that were awash with the remnants of Gozaburo, as if they were ready for the old man to sit there again, unaware of the change in hands.

So many things that Kaiba had his eye on during the extended visit, things that he knew would need changed in the near future, yet they were all things that were so much smaller than the reports in hand.

As the day waned to night, he was almost grateful to be out of yet another meeting with upper management. Every meeting had been an 'emergency meeting', even when there seemed to very little say. Kaiba was listening, taking notes, making suggestions. Everyone was looking to him to solve a problem that he couldn't ascertain was a problem in the first place.

Kaiba walked to the main stairwell from the offices to the bright-lit production floor, rife with noise and the busy movement of workers. He peered over the railing, eyeing the quick moving assembly-line. A well oiled machine working at capacity for the holiday season.

The factory manager approached him. "You really think shutting down production is wise, Mr. Kaiba?"

"I don't like it any more than you do," he replied. He hadn't looked away from the reports in his hand, flipping through the pages and reading quicker than the manager's eye could flick over the headers. Notes were made in the margins of the page, sloppy. He paused midway to try and stop the small tremor that seemed to persist in his hand. Too much coffee, he figured. He hadn't been sleeping well, if at all. Even when Joey texted him 'good night' each evening and he felt the urge to turn in. He flexed his fingers and continued writing.

"It is the holiday rush. We have so many orders to fill."

"And I have a factory full of employees to consider," Kaiba replied. When he did turn to the manager, his face was set in disapproval. "I would have figured you would be grateful. You've pushed it this far."

"Well, sir, yes but..."

"But nothing. You think something in this factory is making people in the nearby city sick, despite none of the employees being infected. You think this factory is the cause of dead waterfowl on a shoreline far from here," Kaiba stressed. Isono stepped up by him, handing him an overcoat. "So now I have to deign these ludicrous rumours with a response."

"But stopping production five days before Christmas?"

"You want everything tested or not?" Kaiba asked, his bark simmered to a quiet hum. "Everything else that can be done, or researched, has. I can't put anyone else at risk in case this is true," Kaiba said. He didn't want to believe it; he really didn't, but he needed it to be taken care of before the rumours spread too far.

Kaiba threw on his coat and began down the stairs, the manager left behind. "Contact the appropriate agencies and have them brought in tomorrow morning; have them test everything in and around the factory," he said, knowing Isono was two steps behind.

"Of course, sir."

"Order the same of any other production facilities, for comparison." Isono grunted in response, already pulling out his phone.

Kaiba went back to looking over the reports, flipping the page again. Mid-step, he stalled, reaching out for the security of the railing as his head pulsed, as if the world had widened and shrunk in an instant, leaving him reeling. The words on the report began to blur together. Kaiba tried to blink it away, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the words were a little clearer. But so were the neat, red, round drops of blood quickly spreading across the page.

A handkerchief was pulled from his pocket and pressed to his face. His descent down the stairs became rapid but precise, each footstep watched and the railing grasped tight. His head was wobbling, and the world felt like it was tilting on its axis beneath his feet.

"Is there something wrong?" Isono asked. Kaiba made a sharp turn towards the facility's exit. Anything to get off the production floor and away from the sudden, stifling number of people on it. "Sir?"

When Kaiba's pace quickened, his gait at full stride, Isono fought to keep ahead and open the door for him. A gust of frigid winter wind blasted through. It seemed to stop Kaiba in place, forcing him to readjust his footing as he ducked his head and stepped out. The handkerchief, with a spreading stain of blood, hadn't gone unnoticed by Isono.

"Master Kaiba?"

Kaiba glanced up, sharp. "Go get the car."

Isono clung to the door, wary and conflicted, before nodding and charging off into the parking lot. It left Kaiba in alone, in the quiet and whip of the wind blowing snapping his hairs against already chapped cheeks.

The cold made him so acutely aware of everything that felt wrong at once, as if he hadn't experienced it like a slow bleed over the last few weeks. It heightened the burning ache in his joints, deepened the fatigue in his muscles, and matched the chill that already coated his skin. He couldn't concentrate, his mind in a million different directions, eyes flicking around at the blurry world—spinning, tilting, twisting. Was that the headache or just a rush of vertigo stabbing him through the eye? Hands...where were his hands? Fingers, tingled and numbed, flinching as he searched for them as if they weren't right beneath his nose.

His hand dropped from his face, assured that it was there, and the handkerchief was admired. It had been dyed crimson, dotted with uneven splotches of white. His brows furrowed, turning it over in his hand, squeezing it between weak, trembled fingers, not so numbed to feel the warmth of the blood on his palm.

The heat of the fluid may have been smeared across his face, but it was still draining. As if it were water and not blood. A single, warm drop tracked downwards, between his lips and swept up by greedy tongue. It continued, curling down his chin and tracing down a vein on his neck, cooling once it hit his Adam's apple and lingered until he could no longer feel it. The cold overtook it.

The car pulled up. Kaiba stepped forward. His head bowed, watching the tips of his shoes to measure each step. His attention was drawn to the little blood droplets he was leaving behind in the snow; a trail of crumbs. He could have washed his face in the snow if it wasn't so undignified. It felt bad, there was no way it looked any better than it felt. No one needed to see it. No one would see it. He would make sure of it; this was between him and Joey.

Kaiba's head raised, the droplets forgotten; a cursory glance was made around the parking lot, searching for people between the snowflakes. Isono was running to him.

"Sir?" Isono held tight to Kaiba, an arm thrown over his shoulders. "Master Kaiba, are you hurt?"

"I have to go," he whispered. Isono was in agreement, ushering Kaiba to the car and helping the young executive steady himself.

"What happened, sir?" Isono said, sorry betraying his stoicism. "Are you ill? Master Kaiba, answer me. Anything, sir. Tell me what hap—!"

When they reached the car, Kaiba felt his body slip, unable to grapple onto anything as he rocked backwards. Isono held Kaiba tight, pressed him close to the breast and watched as his head flopped back, eyes fluttering.

Snowflakes falling. A dapper, clouded sky. So quiet. So calm, placid. Nothing ached or existed for a fraction of a moment. When he came to reality, he was sitting in the edge on the edge of the car seat. His head was pressed in his hands. Isono knelt by him in the snow.

"Seto, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

A relieved sigh, followed by a soft: "What's the matter?"

Kaiba's hands fell from his face. "The coffee tasted strange."

"Sir?"

"This morning," Kaiba said. A deep breath, regaining his bearings. "The coffee tasted strange. Did you drink it?"

Isono shook his head. "Do you think there was something in the coffee?"

Kaiba shrugged, absent. His concentration was trying to find one thing to focus on, every detail catching his eye and creating an overload in his mind, though he was gripped by that particular taste, metallic and sharp. It was more invasive and prevalent than the coppery blood he licked from the backs of his teeth.

"I just need to sleep," Kaiba said, finishing the conversation. He slipped further into the backseat. "Take me to the hotel."

Wordless, Isono obeyed, but not without a crease on his brow. He offered his employer a handkerchief to clean the drying blood, but otherwise said nothing else, instead choosing to watch as Kaiba stared out the window, entranced by his own thoughts. The thumb of his left hand was running circles into the palm of his right, his fingers twitching. He seemed so lost that he didn't hear the phone ring. Stop. Ring again.

"Master Kaiba?"

"Mm."

"Mr. Wheeler is calling you."

Kaiba pulled the phone from his pocket, staring at Joey's contact photo, bright and smiling. Honey eyes stared right through him, knowing, judging, but also loving and concerned. Kaiba grinned back, unable to stop himself from laughing deeply. Joey had the worst (or best) timing for phone calls. Always. And he didn't need to answer the phone to hear what Joey might say to him, enjoying the kind words that were always a little assaulting in their earnestness. 'Are ya alright', 'are ya eatin'', 'what's new'. Just those words in his head were enough to be comforting in spite of the nausea, the fatigue, the headaches.

"I know."

Isono wasn't so sure that Kaiba knew anything at the moment, returning to staring out the window.

The phone kept ringing in his trembling hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what my obsession with Christmas and snow is. XD I just love the setting, 
> 
> I swear there will be more Kaiba/Joey cuddling and stuff soon! Just building up a little bit of everything! And the Mokuba/Rebecca thing sorta wormed it’s way into my heart and it’s just...not going away, though it will fall more into the background next chap. It’s why I changed the tags. 
> 
> Also: what Kaiba has is a real disease, I promise. This isn’t some random made up thing. Some of the symptoms may be exaggerated for drama, but it is real. 
> 
> Anyone have any guesses? 
> 
> Tell me what you think! Thank you for all the wonderful comments and kudos! You guys are amazing!


	9. The White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I wrote so i wrote a lot....XD Merry Christmas?

The get together went late, long after they had finished making all of the party favours. They ended up ordering pizza and trying out one of Yugi's board games, though it ended in a constant fight of what rules were actually rules and what they were making up as they went. In the very least, Yugi was getting ideas for how to perfect his game.

It was a decent distraction for Joey. Kaiba not answering his phone wasn't out of the ordinary, but today it seemed more frustrating. Maybe it was because he was sick—in all the years they'd been together, he wasn't actually sure if he had ever seen Kaiba 'sick' beyond a headache. Which was giving Joey a headache.

When Mokuba and Rebecca decided they were ready to leave, Joey reluctantly stood. "I'll see ya guys. Gotta drive the uh...lovebirds home."

Mokuba blushed. "You don't have to. We're just...kinda tired."

"Uh-huh. Tired, got it," Joey winked. Mokuba's blush grew and he turned away, grabbing a box of decorations.

"I'm calling a car; you can stay, we'll go get the house all fixed up, alright?" Mokuba suggested. Before Joey could protest, he and Rebecca ran down the stairs, giggling with one another. There was no point in following them, and really, Joey was a little relieved. It had been too long since he had the chance to sit and shoot the breeze with Yugi and Tristan.

Once Mokuba left, a round of beers was passed out, and a game of Duel Monsters suggested. Casual tabletop, like they hadn't done for a long time. "Somethin' better about playin' this way," Joey said. Like playing across the desks at school. Though he still lamented when Yugi won ("You and the Magical Hats, man. Every time") while Tristan mocked both of them, taking no one's side.

Two beers in, Téa came by and kissed Yugi on the cheek, leaving the boys alone while she went to bed. "Don't be up too late. We have to go see my Mom in the morning."

The boys had already pulled out a French deck and began dealing out a game of Rummy, knowing they could make it last the night while the bullshitted.

It was strange to think about how long it had been since they did this; ate pizza, drank beer, played games. He spent so much time (and time waiting) with Kaiba he had formed a new, almost mature routine. Growing up was weird; he felt like he was addressing problems that he didn't even fathom were problems as a teenager. Save the world from the crazies in a card game? That he could handle, but moving into an apartment? Having a steady enough relationship that people asked him when he was getting married? His _little sister_ getting married?! God, he wasn't ready for any of that. He'd take on Marik again any day.

"There he goes, picking up the whole damn pile. What the hell, Tris!" Joey said. Tristan snickered, spreading what had to be half the deck in his hand. "Leave some for us. That queen ain't worth it."

"Says you," Tristan said, slapping down three queens before discarding. It cycled to Yugi. "I'll make it work. I got more luck in this game than the both of you combined."

Relaxing back in his chair, Joey smirked and threw his thumb to Yugi. "You gonna beat silent assassin over here?"

Yugi smiled sheepishly, discarding. "Well, I mean, there's something silent and deadly going on here but it's not me..."

Joey threw his head back, covering his face with his hand to try not to snort. "It's the beer," he said between breaths, "makes Tris all gassy."

"Bullshit!"

"I've went out drinkin' with you enough," Joey said, drawing a card and discarding. "An' I've covered for ya waaaay too many times with the ladies."

"That was like...once."

"Yeah sure, once. Ya mean once a weekend."

"Oh yeah! You did it that much, did you?" Tristan asked, laying out another set and discarding before saying: "Shoulda done it when me and Serenity hung out then. Maybe she'd be marrying me instead."

"I'm not sure that has anything to do with it," Yugi said, quietly snatching up Tristan's discard. "But I mean..."

"Psh, ain't like I coulda been around them all the damn time if it was. Sheesh," Joey said, rolling his eyes and twisting the empty beer bottle between his fingers. "Ya hear yourself man? 'My beer-farts are the reason that Serenity is marrying Duke'."

Before Joey even finished talking, he began laughing at his own joke and couldn't stop. It had to be the beer. He knew it wasn't that funny, but he kept muttering 'beer farts' to himself as he doubled over the table, his head laying in his arms.

Tristan threw the corner of a pizza crust at him, hitting him in the forehead. "Breathe, jackass, it's your turn," he said, but couldn't even pretend to be angry. He peered at his hand through the flecks of tears in his eyes, drawing and discarding. No way that he was winning this, but that didn't really matter. They weren't remembering to write down the score, anyways.

The laughter tapered off enough that Joey could wipe the tears from his eyes. When the hand ended, he stood and collected the empty bottles, going to grab a new round. "Shit, that just gave me a good idea for the toast," he said.

Tristan sunk in his seat. "Oh no..."

"'Congratulations Duke," Joey began, holding one of the bottles like a microphone. "Today, ya get to marry Ren because I knew that you, unlike Tristan, wouldn't torment her with beer farts.'"

"It's...not terrible," said Yugi, garnering a sharp look from Tristan. He shrugged innocently. "I would be a little more eloquent. Maybe something like 'today, you get to marry the love of your life' instead?"

"Don't encourage him," Tristan chided.

"Too late," Joey said, falling back back into his chair, passing out the beers while Yugi riffled the cards. "That was a good one, Yug'. Got anymore for me?"

"Sure. So there's the whole 'love of your life part' maybe say something like 'there were others that I had considered good enough for my little sister but..."

"Wait, wait, slow down. Gotta take notes so I remember this..." he said, yanking it out of his pocket and hammering at the screen.

"Oh no you don't," Tristan reached across the table, snatching up Joey's phone mid-word and holding it over his head. "I will pay you a 100 bucks not to remember any of it."

"Or what...?" Joey challenged.

This was all playful. The smiles were abound, even if Tristan tried to play it tough and shook his head like he was offended. As if. Joey had said much worse things in much better company that, even now, were a joke that no one but he and Tristan understood.

"Or I'll send everyone all the mushy texts between you an' Kaiba," he threatened.

Joey's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

Whipping around, Tristan made a point of dramatically poking at Joey's phone screen where everyone had a plain view, opening up his messaging app and scrolling through the long string of texts that Joey almost never deleted. As if it might be evidence one day. To what, he had no idea.

They were all lunch plans. Dinner reservations. Tournaments, meetings, work. Boring and domestic affairs that weren't overly affectionate but to Joey, they meant the world. The mushy that Tristan was looking for (and probably the dirty) was so interspersed it sat between the lines of text. The things that happened after ' _I just got home' or 'hey, miss u (heart)'._

He face Tristan about thirty second of browsing before he leapt up and around the table, pawing to grab his phone back. "Hey, give it, man."

"Or what? You'll sic Kaiba after me?"

"It ain't him ya gotta be worryin' about!" Joey half-threatened. He paused when a text for Mokuba popped up. Tristan clicked on it.

' _It's lookin good! 3'_ Mokuba sent, along with a selfie of him and Rebecca in front of the decorations in the living room.

Tristan's lips pursed. "Jeez, he looks worse in the picture."

Joey snatched his phone back, staring at the motley bruises, better than they were a few days before, and nodded.

"I know that it's not really our business, but...I was wondering what happened?" Yugi asked.

And Joey sighed inwardly, knowing this would come up sooner or later. Sooner, Joey thought bitterly, and he discarded without looking. "A fight."

Tristan's hand slapped over the card. "Rummy! And no shit. You don't get bruises like that from walkin' into a door or whatever. The bigger question is: who thought it was a good idea to fistfight with Mokuba?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Um...yeah? So me and you can go beat the shit out them."

Joey smiled half-heartedly. "Mokuba says he's got it covered."

"And you believed him?"

"I don't really got a choice," Joey said. And he wished he hadn't.

Like when Mokuba walked into the room earlier, it felt like the temperature dropped. Though now, it wasn't as easy to deflect from the topic by picking another person to talk to. Tristan and Yugi scrutinised him, sharing curious glances while Joey sucked on the inside of his cheek. "What happened, Joey?" Yugi asked.

Joey shook his head. "It's nothin'."

"Are you sure...?"

Clenching his jaw, Joey rearranged his cards to feign focus. His friends had looked right through him, probably had from the moment he made up an excuse for Mokuba when they arrived, and he couldn't decide whether he was grateful or annoyed. He had promised Mokuba he wouldn't tell Kaiba, but when it came to these two, it was different. Their concern was sincere; all he would have to do was a say the word and Tristan would go with him to beat up Asshole. No questions asked.

"It's...complicated, I guess. He an' his roommate got into it, apparently."

"What about?"

"Dunno. He doesn't wanna give me too many details. But..." Joey shrugged, flicking the corners of his cards and waiting for his turn. Not that it would come, because Tristan wasn't paying attention that it was his turn, and Yugi was too invested in his question to care. "Rebecca said it was because his roommate doesn't like that me an' Seto are an item."

"Oh, Joey...that's terrible."

"Tell me about it. Ain't like Mokuba's done a damn thing. He just happens to be Kaiba's brother so he's the one gettin' the shit? Not like it's any different from normal," Joey lamented. And he realised that was probably why Mokuba didn't want Kaiba to know. It was definitely to save face, too. Mokuba wanting to fight his own battles without his brother's help, like the last thing that he wanted to burden Kaiba with was the fact that, even now, he was still harassed for simply having the same last name.

"Guilty by association,” Yugi said, as if reading Joey’s thoughts.

"Yup."

"I'm sorry."

"What for? Ain't like you're the one who said or did anythin'."

"I know, but..." Yugi trailed off, and nodded for Tristan to take his turn. The brunet stewed instead, looking like he wanted to ask a question but couldn't come up with it. "Does Kaiba know?"

"No. An' he ain’t gonna if I can help it."

"Why not?" Tristan asked.

"Because..."Joey clenched his fists. The more he spoke, the more horrible he felt. He didn't have to keep it from these two, but that didn't make it any less wrong. But so much had been bottled up. So much concern, so much worry. "Because he don't need t' know. Really, what's it gonna change?"

"Kaiba could probably get the kid's ass expelled," Tristan said.

"Yeah, an' then what?" Joey asked. It had boiled up in him, thinking about how delicately even Rebecca had phrased it to him, trying to avoid any blame. This wasn't just about Kaiba. It was about him, too. And the relationship. "This idiot would try an' sell the sob story. 'My opinion got me expelled, details at 11!'."

"It's not gonna go like that," Tristan said.

"How do ya know?"

"Because this is Kaiba! He'd make sure this stuff would get buried."

"Tris, ya don't get it, a'right. I appreciate that ya wanna go help me beat the shit outta this kid. I wanna do it too. Bad. So bad that I almost jumped on a train back jus' so I could,” Joey said, exasperated. “But I'm not an idiot. I know it ain't gonna change nothin'.”

That was the messed up part. There were always terrible people out there who didn't care about anyone's views but their own. Nothing was going to change them. Joey had mostly learned to ignore them, mimicking Kaiba's cool indifference, but this was getting to him. Hard. "Trust me. It's better jus' to leave this alone and keep Seto out of it."

"You can't be serious."

"I am."

"That's...that's not just a fistfight, Joe," Tristan said. He threw his cards down, making Yugi reluctantly set his down as well. "That's in a completely different ballpark. That's a crime."

"Tristan's right. Kaiba needs to know," Yugi agreed, adding: "It's not fair to you guys, or to Mokuba to just—,"

Joey slammed his hands on the table, shaking the beer bottles and scattering the cards. "You wanna know what's not fair? Not bein' able to hold Seto's hand in public because he doesn't wanna 'make a scene'. But ya know what? It ain't ever us makin' the scene. Or how 'bout the fact that I can't sit in the same room with my mother without her askin' why I me an' Mai haven't got back together? How's that for fair, huh? It's make jus'...I wanna go an'...arghh!"

Joey planted his face into his arms, biting his sleeve to curb the frustration. A hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed warmly. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I dunno."

"We're here to help. We've always got your back," Yugi assured. Joey didn't need to look up to feel his smile. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah," Joey propped himself up, rubbing the tears of frustration away. "Thanks, Yug'. I just wish I knew how you could help. Not tellin' Seto for now, I guess."

"Of course. Right, Tristan?"

Begrudgingly, Tristan nodded. "Yeah. Fine, whatever. But anything else happens and someone's gettin' pounded. You hear me?"

"Only if ya let me join ya."

"Hell yeah! Partners in crime. All three of us!" He said, slinging his arm over Yugi's shoulder. Both of them smiled wide to him, making Joey's heart swell. He was still full of frustration and annoyance. This situation wasn't easy, stuck between Kaiba and Mokuba's secrets, but at least he could get a little bit of it off his chest. Deep down, he wondered if Mokuba would be angry at him for telling. There was no taking it back now. Whatever happened, happened. And at least then, he would have his friends behind him and, by extension, his family.

"Three musketeers!" Joey shouted, sliding over and putting his arm over Yugi's shoulder, sandwiching him against Tristan. "Now, c'mon. Let's get back t' the game. I ain't even close to thrashin' you guys yet."

"Ha. Fat chance. You're gonna need a Christmas miracle," Tristan said, scooping up the cards and reshuffling.

Joey was happy to let the prior conversation fall way in favour of terrible puns and conversation that noodled into every topic imaginable, though he caught Yugi looking at him and reflexively smiling, as if to tell him 'everything's going to be okay'. He sure hoped so.

—

They ended up playing so late that Joey passed out on Yugi's couch, napping off the beers before waking around two in the morning and forcing himself to go back to the manor. He trudged as far as the parlour, collapsing in a chair and using his coat as a blanket, half remembering that he had to work in the morning.

He wasn't exactly sure what time it was when he was awoken by Rebecca's blood-curdling scream, but it was still dark as he scrambled off the chair and ran towards the sound of her voice, squeezing his eyes closed to dull the pain of the bright kitchen lights. When he opened them back up, he wasn't sure what he was looking at.

Rebecca stood, clamping what appeared to be Mokuba's robe shut around herself while brandishing a stalk of celery towards a very unimpressed Kaiba. Joey rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times before scanning again, wondering if he was still dreaming or if it was just really blurry. Nope. Kaiba and Rebecca still.

"What the hell's going on here?"

"He scared me!" Rebecca said. Her face was beat-red. "He just walked in here and was all like 'can I help you?' and kept staring at me weirdly."

"I believe you're in my kitchen, Miss Hawkins," Kaiba said. He set his briefcase on the island and stripped out of his coat. Joey shortened his distance to Kaiba. "I'm curious as to why."

"Mokuba didn't tell you?" Rebecca asked, and she turned to Joey. "You didn't tell him?"

"I said Moki brought a friend home." Joey approached Kaiba with a little caution. The pallor had only worsened, his sleeplessness deepened beneath his eyes. His fingers perched on the countertop, stopping him from swaying. A stiff breeze could have knocked him over. "Thought he'd said somethin'."

"In passing," Kaiba replied.

"So then you know why I'm here?" Rebecca said.

Kaiba's jaw ticked. "In general, yes. At this very moment, no. Though I have a few guesses," he said, and continued to scan her up and down, smirking at her vulnerable state. "I imagine you and Mokuba are taking a break from...something."

"That's not...we weren't...!"Rebecca stammered, flustered and unable to come up with something. She looked to Joey for help, but he trying to stifle his own laughter. It wasn't every day that Kaiba made him want to laugh. "Jerks!"

"Seto, stop bein' mean," Joey said, batting Kaiba's arm. "Ya ain't makin' a good impression."

"I've met Miss Hawkins before. I don't need to make an impression on her," he said.

"I meant for Mokuba."

Kaiba hummed, his gaze on Rebecca unrelenting. As if he was testing her ability to withstand the awkwardness simmering in the room. Rebecca was resilient, unmoved by Kaiba's harsh expression while he took stock in her, considering her worthiness to be with Mokuba in the first place. They stood so long that the embarrassment washed from Rebecca's face, and she took the time to put away the celery and tie her robe closed.

Finally, Kaiba asked: "Are you staying until the new semester?"

"Probably," she replied hotly. "But if you don't want me here, you can just tell me."

Kaiba's smirk died to something softer. Not quiet a smile, but it was kind. "Mokuba's invited you over for the holidays; I think you're smart enough to realise how important you must be to him."

The blush returned to Rebecca's face. "Yeah, o-of course."

"Then my feelings on the matter are moot," he said, turning away from Rebecca. Joey grabbed his arm, wrapping around it to steady him. "It's five in the morning, Miss Hawkins. Go to bed, and tell Mokuba to do the same."

"Okay."

Rebecca swept all the snack bags into her arms and headed out of the kitchen, momentarily looking back at them, confused, before starting up the stairs.

Once she left, Joey hugged Kaiba tightly, burying his face in the crook of Kaiba's neck and kissing it. Still cold. "I missed you so much," he muttered, rubbing his hands up and down Kaiba's back to try and warm him up. "You doin' alright?"

"I'm fine."

The hug was weakly reciprocated, but Kaiba stumbled into him, as if trying to meld their bodies together and share the warmth. The worry hammering in Joey's chest worsened.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Jospeh. It hasn't changed from before."

At least Kaiba didn't completely lie to him. "C'mon, you should at least try an' sleep a bit. Bed's been kinda cold without ya."

"I'm not tired."

Looping his arm in Kaiba's, Joey tried to drag him upstairs anyways, but the executive planted himself. He went back to his briefcase, flicking it open and pulling out a square, flat box wrapped up in shimmering red wrapping paper, completed with a small gold bow with a tag poking out from beneath it. He handed it to Joey. "Open it."

Joey went numb, imagining the number of things that could be in the box. "What's this? Christmas gift."

"Very astute."

"It ain't Christmas yet." He shook the box by his ear, hearing something rattle, muffled.

"And?"

The eagerness in Joey wanted to tear the paper to shreds, but he restrained himself. "And I ain't quite finished with your gift yet. So, you're gonna hafta wait 'til I can give you your present, too. 'Kay?"

"Joseph..."

Joey let go of Kaiba and headed into the parlour, setting the gift underneath the Christmas tree, the wrapping paper twinkling and calling to him beneath the multi-coloured lights.

"It's like...three days," Joey reasoned, both to himself and to Kaiba walking up from behind. "You can wait if I can wait."

"Perhaps."

Joey wrapped his arms around Kaiba's waist and pressed them together, looking him in the eye before kissing him roughly, missing on the second peck and kissing the corner of his mouth instead. "C'mon," he said between breaths. "Let's go upstairs. Maybe we can...figure out a welcome home present?"

Kaiba's brows rose in consideration, and that was all Joey needed to grab him by the hand and drag him upstairs. He didn't like pretending that Kaiba wasn't sick, but he had to wait this out. Until after Christmas; until the move. It was business as usual up until then.

They were caught on the landing, however, by Mokuba running down the hall and barrelling into Kaiba for a hug. "Nii-sama!"

"Hey, kiddo."

"You came home in time."

Kaiba ruffled his hair. "For Christmas? Of course. You and Joseph complained enough."

"For the Christmas party, too!" Mokuba said. He pulled away, wriggling with excitement and beaming. "Joey said that he didn't know if you'd be home in time, or that you may not want to—," Kaiba's knuckles brushed along Mokuba's jaw, his thumb pressing over the healing cut on his lip.

"What happened?"

Mokuba gripped Kaiba's wrist, lowering his head. "Nothing serious."

"Try again."

"It was...a fight," Mokuba said. He smiled  pitifully and shifted from side to side, unnerved. Joey half expected him to cave immediately and tell Kaiba the whole truth.

"Who did this?"

"My roommate,” Mokuba said. He glanced to Joey and back again. "We didn't get along too well, but we mostly just stayed out of each other's way. Until we didn’t, I guess. But...it's been handled. We got pulled apart and ended up talking to campus police. I have it under control."

Kaiba shot an accusing look to Joey. "And you didn't tell me?"

"I..."

"I asked him not to tell you," Mokuba interrupted, covering Joey's apprehension. "I hadn't told him, either. He freaked out when he picked me up, and tried to call you immediately, but I knew you were on business and it didn't seem like something you needed to worry about. Like I said: it's handled."

Kaiba's face betrayed his thoughts. Skepticism mixed with hints of violence, likely considering all the same things that Joey had been thinking about the moment that Mokuba told him about what happened. But he held back, settling on glaring through Joey as he said: "You still should have told me."

"I know. I guess...I didn't know how," Mokuba said. "It all happened so fast, I was just trying to be an adult about it and then get home for the holidays."

Kaiba's face softened. "Is that so?"

"Yup. And honestly I thought that Rebecca coming with me was the biggest thing I'd have to worry about," Mokuba chuckled. Joey envied his seamless transition to another topic. He really needed to learn how to do that. The kid had to have some trick. "Though we did warn you about that one."

"It is a bit of a surprise."

"Yeah...that sorta happened fast, too," Mokuba whispered. A wistful smile popped as he looked back to where Rebecca hung from his doorway, eyes narrowed and her tongue stuck out at Kaiba. "I just bumped into her at a café not far from campus and found out we both go there. Which was a shock. We've been talking a lot, about pretty much everything. She gets everything, all the nerd-babble, all the work stuff. Plus she helps with essays while we," Mokuba yawned through a few words, "and playing video games since we got home."

"You need to go to bed."

"Says you." Mokuba grinned. "You look drained."

"No more than usual."

An 'oh really' looked popped onto Mokuba's face. "Sleep," Mokuba ordered, and beg a to walk away from them backwards, "or I take your phone away and make you socialise at the party!"

The door slammed closed. Joey shook his head. "Better listen to him. He might follow up on that threat," Joey said, and he pushed up from the wall, knitting his fingers in Kaiba's and squeezing where they trembled. Anger or illness? He couldn't tell. He began to guided them towards the bedroom, their previous plans forgotten.

Once inside, Kaiba glided away, undressing and showering. Joey made himself comfortable on the bed, watching the bathroom door until his eyes were heavy. A dip in the bed woke him up.

"Mm, gonna actually sleep?" Kaiba said nothing as he laid down, his back to Joey. "Seto...?"

Carefully, Joey reached out and tapped Kaiba's shoulder. When he got no response, he scooted closer, peering over his shoulder and leaning in close to his cheek. A gentle breath escaped him. He always slept peacefully, though Joey rarely got to see it. Kaiba always went to bed after him and got up before him.

Joey leaned down to peck him on the cheek. "Sorry," he whispered, curling up against Kaiba's back. He threw his arm over the executive's midriff. "Don't be mad...I figured you'd understand."

But Joey wasn't sure. If there was something wrong, Kaiba was vocal about it. He spared no one's feelings, not even Joey's, which lead to their knock-down, drag-out fights because Joey would take absolutely none of it. Usually, when he was silent, everything was fine. But there was too much going on now to make it feel alright.

For now, Joey just accepted it (whatever it was) and drifted off to sleep, nuzzled close to Kaiba.

—

Nothing else was mentioned about it. It left Joey on edge, expecting Kaiba to turn a corner and start berating him for saying nothing, but it never came. Instead, he dove into Christmas prep, helping Rebecca and Mokuba after they burnt their first batch of cookies, filling the kitchen with smoke. Joey couldn't help but laugh, especially as Kaiba downstairs to assess the damage.

"Charcoal cookie?" Joey offered.

"Don't burn the house down. It's not sold yet."

"'Ey, you ain't no better!"

The three of them snickered as they began to next batch. It was comfortable, familial, in way that Joey had never fully experienced before. Like sitting with Kaiba at the island and talking about nothing while eating a homemade meal. He could get used to it, the cozy feeling that was warming in his heart despite, even if he did need to make sure two 'adults', as Mokuba so proudly claimed they were, didn't end up hurting themselves in the process.

On the 23rd, everything was in place. The formal dining room was set up with a large array of different appetisers and desserts, slowly filled up as the guests brought more along with them. The living room had been rearranged, making space for a basic dance floor when they repositioned an oriental rug. Most of the party favours were set up on different tables and piano, and the banisters were strewn with icicle lights and popcorn garland, courtesy of many pricked fingers and Mokuba's begging.

Though Kaiba helped with little, he was always close by, monitoring to see what all was going on and giving small orders. Behind his façade of disinterest, Joey sensed that he was a little bit excited. He'd went back down to the basement, Joey following him shortly behind, and picked several bottles of wine, setting them up in the kitchen.

It felt like there was a piece of glass between him and Kaiba. Look, but don't touch. He would have much preferred an argument break out over something stupid so they could vent all their frustration and get on with it. But it didn't happen, even while Joey kept waiting for it, anxiously anticipating Kaiba's accusations.

Once the guests started arriving, he put it the wayside. Maybe it wasn't coming and he was just guilting himself into a stomachache. It wasn't like Kaiba was much different. Just a little quiet, which he could attribute to him not feeling so well.

"Oh my gosh," Serenity gasped, twirling around the foyer. She left Duke in the dust to follow her brother. "This place so pretty. It's like a little winter wonderland," she giggled.

"Yeah, all that's missing is the snow," Duke added.

"You're welcome t' come an' shovel it from outside," Joey suggested, earning him a punch to the arm as Duke passed through. "Put the gifts on the round table. Yug' said he wanted everyone t' get a good look at 'em before they pick."

"Oh!" Mokuba clapped his hands together. "I knew I was forgetting something! I got the perfect name bowl!" And he bolted off, thundering up the stairs with fire at his feet.

Serenity leaned into her brother as he lead her into the living room, her face lighting up as she took in everything. "This is such a nice place. I'm surprised you're moving."

"Yeah. It's definitely got some uh...,fancy to it," he said.

"Not your style?"

"How'd you know?"

Serenity shrugged. "Educated guess."

The girls had already started grouping together, chattering amongst themselves. They seemed to have honed in on Serenity, who waved back at them, enthused. "We've been talking about a bunch of stuff. I never told you: we ended up picking roses for the flowers, so points for you."

"There's points now?"

"Maybe," she said. "You have help me more to find out. It took some convincing Mom, since I wanted yellow ones, but eventually she caved."

"Don't think you mentioned yellow. I thought you guys were debatin' white and pink?"

Serenity headed further into the living room, taking a seat by the fire place, warm and crackling. "Well, yeah, but yellow means friendship," Serenity explained. "And I figure what's more important than marrying your best friend?"

Reflexively, Joey looked around the room, first finding Duke where he was already talking with Tristan and Yugi, showing off something on his phone. Which then had Yugi showing off something, with Tristan groaning while he pair went on over design, playing dead with his tongue stuck out while the others weren't looking.

It had him also looking around for Kaiba, conspicuously vanishing as soon as the Christmas music started. Not that Joey blamed him; some of the music was terrible.

"I know you know what I mean," Serenity said.

"I do?"

"Yes silly," she said, smacking his hand teasingly. "You can't hide that you were looking for him just now. You feel weird without him around. It's why you get mad at him all the time, because you can't just share everything with him. I'm the same way when Duke's not around." Joey grumbled, pretending she wasn't right.

But she was.

Kaiba was his best friend, he just didn't always put it in those terms, because Yugi was also his best friend. But a difference best friend. A brother best friend, not a lover. Was that even a concept? Two best friends, but for completely different reasons? Maybe he had three, if he counted Tristan. But Kaiba was a different sort of 'best friend'. One that was in a tier of his own. Because he was Kaiba, after all.

Joey was so amused, he hadn't noticed Téa and Mai drag off Serenity until he blinked and she had been replaced by a glass of red wine shaking in his line of vision.

Kaiba stood over him with his own glass. "Hey you," Joey said. "Decide t' join us finally?"

"For a little bit."

"I feel so special."

"You should."

Joey leaned back, reaching his arm around Kaiba's thighs and pushing him closer so that he could rest his head on Kaiba's hip. He wasn't denied. "So...s'everythin' alright?"

"Clarify 'everything'."

"I dunno. You, us, work, Mokuba. Take your pick," Joey asked. Fingers began to loosely twist in his hair, trying to card all the way back but failing. Kaiba pulled away after, tipping Joey to almost fall over where he had leaned so far in. "Fine then, don't answer me...but I'm jus' askin'. You're actin' like you're angry but not at me and I'd rather not have there be this tension. It's goin' on. We're supposed to be happy. It's the holidays! So..."

"Later, Joseph."

Joey scoffed, folding against his knees and staring into the wine. It wasn't really a consolation that he was right. But they would at least get a grip on it, even if it meant arguing before Christmas.

Sighing, he gulped down the rest of the wine and left the glass, wandering into the dining room to save Tristan from Duke and Yugi's ongoing conversation that had made its way to the dining room table and included using food as different diagrams. He passed glances to Kaiba, who kept to himself in the living room, scrolling through his phone blankly. Joey couldn't help but think that this wasn't _his_ Kaiba. Like he'd been replaced by a clone. Maybe it was because he was sick; people were weird when they were sick.

"Okay! Guys! It's time for the Main Event!" Mokuba announced some time later. "If you haven't put your gift on the table, do it now!" To which Bakura slinked by, pulling something from his pocket and dropping it in the middle before disappearing. A few giggled, wandering into the parlour while Mokuba shook up a jar shaped like Pot of Greed. "Wanna tell them the rules, Yugi?"

"Sure," Yugi stood up. "Okay, so Mokuba's going to pull a name out of the jar, and that person gets to pick any gift here. You unwrap it in front of everyone, and hold onto it. Once we get more presents open, you guys are allowed to steal. Only two steals per gift, and one steal per person. Then it becomes off-limits."

"Use your steals wisely!"

Yugi nodded. "That's about it. We'll go until everyone gets a gift. So...Mokuba?" His hand was already swirling around in the jar, tongue poked out as he fished in deep.

Joey moved closer to the array of presents, plopping onto the arm of the chair where Kaiba sat and reached for his hand to hold. The hold was weak, as if he couldn't fully grip, but he didn't let go. "This is going to turn into an absolute mess."

"Yup. That's that's the fun."

"Mm. Fun."

"Hey, you'll see. White Elephant's fun 'cause of the weird gifts."

Like the first gift that Mai ended up picking. A pair of Superman underwear, complete with a little cape. She snorted, commenting that there had to be someone there that wanted it.

It took several people (and two steals later) for Kaiba to get up. "Where ya goin'?" Joey asked.

"I'll be back in a minute."

"Whatever," he mumbled, sliding down into Kaiba's seat so no one else took it, focusing on everyone else as they began to pass around gifts and litter the floor with shreds of paper, throwing bows at one another when enough piled up. Joey ended up picking out a Rum scented candle, which Duke ended up stealing to get rid of a CD of horror movie songs.

"Seto!" Mokuba beamed, pulling his brother's name. Everyone began to murmur, but Rebecca was the first to stand. "Seto! Wherever you are, it's your turn!"

"I saw him head to the kitchen," Rebecca said. "I'll go get him."

Joey sunk further in the chair, mentally grumbling, thinking about how the only mess was that Kaiba didn't want participate, though he shook that away. All these people around him while he was feeling weak, tired, and physically trembling even doing the simplest of tasks? Joey suddenly began feeling worse than just not telling him about Mokuba. This was going about as well as he thought it would when Mokuba suggested they move the party to the manor.

"Mr. Kaiba!" Rebecca shrieked. And the whole world stopped.

Joey went front the living room to the kitchen in moments, stumbling over himself at the sight of Kaiba's legs sticking out from the back of the island.

Tears were welled in Rebecca's eyes as she spoke to someone on the phone. "Move," Joey ordered, dropping beside Kaiba.

He laid face down, his face and hands smeared with the blood still dripping from his nose, filling the diamond pattern of the tiles. A handkerchief, drenched red, was clutched in his hand. "Seto..." Joey gasped, turning Kaiba over. His face was ashen, eyes fluttering somewhere like he heard. "Seto...tell me what's wrong..."

"Joey, I don't think you should..." someone said.

Everyone was at the threshold, corralled back by Tristan and Duke when Joey glanced to them.

"C'mon wake up, Seto please..."Joey begged, brushing his hair from his eyes. "You're okay. I know you're okay, cmon. Ya still gotta yell at me later. Please. I don't care whatcha say; just wake up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, cliffhanger. But what’s gonna happen now? 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for all your patience. Tell me what you think. Hopefully I’ll update soon!


	10. The Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! This one wouldn’t come out, though I have been working on a million things. Enjoy.

Spending Christmas Eve in a hospital wasn't Joey's idea of a happy holiday. He had to check his phone to make sure it was Christmas Eve, the minute slipping by as his phone lit up. 3:14 AM.

Kaiba laid on his side in the bed. Wires sprouted from his chest making him the sort of mechanical man that people seemed to think he was, an IV dripping clear liquid into a cannula on the back of his hand. Said arm was extended out, fingers gripped tightly on his own cellphone, but he wasn't scrolling like usual.

There was something listless in his eyes. He blinked slow and roved around occasionally, but for the last several hours he had said as little as possible. Somehow, even in his absent quiet, Joey could still feel his anger, or annoyance, or whatever it had made him so bristly before bed. Not that he was even sure if Kaiba was actually mad at him, or if it was this sickness. He'd been so weird, so un-Kaiba like.

Party be damned; they were going to have an argument. They would discuss things loud and long even with guests present. Then Mokuba would have tried to shush them. Usually, Mokuba would fail, but Joey couldn't say how this argument would turn out. It was about Mokuba and, for all the arguments they'd ever had, Mokuba had never been one of them.

Kaiba's hand drooped, and his fingers began to loosen around his phone.

"You should sleep," Joey whispered.

That got a reaction. Kaiba's glare stabbed into him, but Joey only doubled down, reaching out and prying the phone from Kaiba's fingers.

"Let go," Joey demanded.

"Stop."

"You're sick, Seto. Ya believe it now?"

"I believed it before."

Joey scoffed. "Yeah, right."

The phone was pressed between his palms, a flurry of messages buzzing.

Kaiba's arm was still out, the twiggy fingers extended towards Joey, shaking and begging, though there was still a void on his face. The same kind of lack of feeling he'd seen in the apartment, when Kaiba seemed to absently look out over the Domino skyline. Maybe he wasn't looking at anything.

"I'm gonna go get somethin' to eat. Ya want anythin'?" Joey asked.

"My phone."

Joey moved it to the far corner of the bureau beside the bed. "No. Ya need to jus' rest, a'right? Ya ain't done that since this whole thing started."

Kaiba's head lulled away from Joey. Still not in the mood to argue, or even talk for that matter. Which, really, could have been the blood loss. From the estate to the hospital, the nosebleed had hardly stopped. It was only in the ER, when he became lucid and tilted his head back, that they'd been able to stifle it. They initial thought it may have been a broken blood vessel, but Joey was more than happy to tell them that it had been happening for over a month at least. Since whenever this had started.

That dinner when they made up.

Joey reached out for Kaiba's hand, threading their fingers together warmly and squeezing. It took a few seconds before Kaiba's fingers curled around his.

Leaning onto the bed, Joey cupped his other hand around Kaiba's and tucked it hand beneath chin.

"What are you doing, Joseph?"

"Keeping you warm."

"Is that so?"

"Yup. Gotta do somethin'. Can't think of anythin' I can do other than sit here an' worry about everythin'. I might go grab the doc. She's been takin' way too long," said Joey.

Kaiba's head lulled back as Joey pulled the icy knuckles up to his lips and kissed them once, twice.

"I was thinkin' 'bout that little card the girl at the children's home—,"

"Iris," Kaiba interjected

"—Iris gave you."

"Us," Kaiba corrected, looking Joey dead in the eye. "She gave it to us."

Joey nodded after a moment, but was more focused on the feeling of Kaiba gently dragging his knuckles the length of Joey's lips and back again. He smiled wide, giving Kaiba more room.

"Smartass," Joey said with a chuckle. "Guess she did, though. Anyways, I was thinkin' we ain't gotten t' go back in a while. Figured we ought to go for Christmas, if we can. Ya still need to read to 'em."

"Mm."

"Depends on what we find out, or if they let ya go."

"I don't see why not. I'm not staying here for more than his evening, and I'm sure Mokuba wants to go. He usually delivers presents to the kids."

"We'll see what the doc says."

Kaiba leaned back into the pillows and squirmed uncomfortably, trying to find the right spot to lay. As if there was one. "They aren't doing any invasive tests. No scans."

"They're gotta do what they gotta go."

"I don't consent."

Joey tightened his grip on Kaiba's hand before easing and returning it to the bed.

"Whatever, man," he said, defeated. He almost could see why Kaiba didn't want to fight. Not with his lethargy. There wasn't much left to argue or fight, even if he was feisty. This illness was taking everything, and Joey knew only as much as Kaiba would tell him. He wasn't much better than Mokuba. "But ya promised me you'd see someone."

"After Mokuba left."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Tomato, tohmato."

Kaiba grimaced in annoyance and closed his eyes. Reluctantly, Joey headed for the door, stopping just short of it. "Want anything to eat? I could get like...tea or somethin'. Maybe find whatever the hell figgy puddin' is."

No response.

Sighing, Joey left and headed down the hall towards the vending machines. Mokuba was on his way back, a handful of snack crackers and a small bag of chips in hand, with Rebecca holding the drinks.

"Anything yet?" Mokuba asked.

Joey shook his head. "Doc ain't been back yet. Still runnin' blood tests an' stuff. Might want to take him for a head scan or whatever, but he says no."

"Why?"

Joey knew why. Concussion. Fresh head scans that they could look at which, really, had happened after all this had started. But he couldn't tell Mokuba that, though he had started. "He uh...says it ain't his head. And doesn't want anyone playin' around in there."

"Well, that's tough!" Mokuba snapped. "He's sick. He passed out, what does he think's gonna happen?"

Joey held his hands up in surrender. "Maybe you'll have better luck than me. He ain't talkin' t' me."

"Yeah. I noticed that at the party..."

So it was that obvious. That only made his shoulders sag more.

"It happens sometimes. I don't always know why, but I guess the party got him all riled up since it was all of a sudden. An' you know me, I always want him to be involved so we prolly jus'... rubbed each other the wrong way."

Rebecca had been looking at her shoes the whole time, but she lifted her head and frowned. "It's because you lied to him. I told you, we should be honest with him."

"It ain't that damn easy," Joey replied.

"Yeah. It is."

"How do you know?"

Rebecca let out an exasperated breath. "Uh, let me think, how about because it'd be the same way if Mokuba was hiding something about you to him," Rebecca said. As turned to Mokuba. "Or he was hiding something from Mokuba. You'd be mad he was hiding something from you, wouldn't you?"

There was an unsure look flinching on Mokuba's face, but he slowly nodded.

"Of course. He shares everything with me. He told me that...he was interested in you," he said, pointing to Joey with a full hand, "before he told you. That was a pretty big secret. What can't he trust me with?"

Illness, apparently. For some reason that Joey hadn't figured out yet.

"I just hope they find out what's wrong," Mokuba continued. "The Internet keeps giving me a lot of bad suggestions and I just...I don't wanna go down that road."

Joey didn't want to either. If it was something more serious, something like cancer or some rare disease that only like 1 in 5 million people had. Ruefully, he thought about how it would fit Seto. Nothing normal would take him out—it had to be something spectacular. Rare and special.

God. His heart sunk through his stomach. The sudden hunger pangs we're gone and washed away with nausea. Seto wasn't going to...he wouldn't leave. They were moving into an apartment. They were figuring themselves out! Even if the talks about marriage had been playful with Serenity, he still considered it one of the many futures they had ahead of them. If they could figure out all the intricacies. For now though, they were going to moving into the apartment, and Seto was going to be fine. If it took a few weeks or months, that was okay.

"If it does...," Joey trailed off, beginning to consider the worse possibilities.

Mokuba shook his head. "No, don't say it..."

"If it does," Joey began again, stronger, his eyes locked with Mokuba's weepy grey, "then I'll be there for 'im. I'll take care of him."

"Joey, stop."

"I'll be Nurse Joey for 'im," he said. A weak smile popped up. The backs of his eyes burned and a small headache formed. Probably from the stress and the wine, but partly fighting the want to cry. He couldn't tell Mokuba, but he wanted to so badly. His hands clenched into fists and jammed into his jacket pocket. "Whatever it takes."

A beleaguered smile appeared on Mokuba's face. One that Joey didn't have time to interpret before Mokuba walked away.

Now alone, a weak and hiccuped sigh escaped Joey, which was about as many tears as he could manage. He rubbed his dry eyes just to make sure that he hadn't actually shed a tear. They didn't know anything yet, but he was already making plans for a blank future with no definition. It was easy to pick out hypothetical flowers or taste vanilla or cookies and cream on his tongue for a cake, and that was the sort of thing he clung to no matter how stupid it was. That wouldn't matter. If they had a set amount of time, the ceremony didn't matter. Just time, and the moments spent between the unravelling days, hours, and minutes.

They didn't know anything yet. But he was about to go shake a doctor down for information just so he could selfishly stop thinking about this.

—

As soon as Joey had left, Kaiba forced himself to sit up and reach over for his phone, nearly dislodging the IV to grab it.

For past three days he'd been passing messages back and forth with the public relations team, trying to figure out a way to handle the rumours that were starting to grow from the factory. Once it had been shut down, all bets were off. People asked questions, especially the employees that had no idea why they weren't going into work, and he had a high suspicion that factory manager he'd been speaking to had to decided to leak something. Anything.

It wasn't in malice, Kaiba thought, but that didn't make it any less devastating. What could have been a Christmas break was turning into a life of its own. And the results he was getting back in regarding the tests performed were just as inconclusive as everything else.

Wearily, he sighed.

It was going to be a vicious cycle until something was figured out.

The phone rang. The publicist likely asking what alternatives there were. He didn't know what. That he was even stressing over these rumours was ridiculous enough. He didn't have the time, patience or, as he relaxed back into the pillows and drew the heavy phone to his ear, energy to deal with this.

The door opened. Mokuba and Rebecca slithered through and settled in chairs to his right, splitting up whatever food they'd found. Kaiba's arm dropped and he declined the call, sending a quick message instead.

"Who was that nii-sama?" Mokuba asked.

"PR."

"Right now? What the heck for? Is something going on?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Something ludicrous."

"You sure? I can talk to them if you want."

Another message came through, and Kaiba glanced at it before replying. The director wanted to know how to address the reports of people falling sick near the factory; Kaiba didn't know, and he was drawing more curious about what 'sick' meant exactly because he wasn't ignorant. He was sick, too. The chance that it was coincidental was small, given that this wasn't a cold or the flu. Whatever _this_ was. Nosebleeds and malaise. Passing out.

"Just more rumours," Kaiba explained.

"The same ones I was getting e-mails about?" Mokuba asked. Kaiba hummed noncommittally. "I read through them a bit. There's something going on about people getting sick and...and my roommate mentioned it, too. Is it true?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"But you're sick."

"I passed out."

"You were bleeding. A lot. And you didn't hit anything on the way down," Mokuba pressed. The bed drooped as Mokuba laid on the side. "What's going on, nii-sama? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No."

"Then why don't you want me involved?"

"Because you're in classes, and I wanted you to focus on that," Kaiba said. He tried to raise up, but Mokuba hovered over him and forced him to lay back down. "Mokuba, I'm alright."

"No, you're not. You're lying to me, nii-sama. I know when you're lying to me."

"Mokuba..."

"There's something you're not tell me. Are you in trouble? Did...did something happen in that factory? Is that why you had to go back, because you were trying to fix it?" Mokuba asked. He spoke so fast that he became breathless.

When had he become so adult, Kaiba wondered. He didn't look angry, even with the redness in his eyes or the subtle frown, but he was deep down. Shaken too, so said the feeling of his trembling hands still squeezing Kaiba's shoulders. He was serious, concerned, and distrustful in his questions. He had every right to be, and for now, Kaiba had no answers, though he didn't want to involve anyone that wasn't necessary.

But he wondered when Mokuba hadn't become necessary. That line was blurry.

"You're in school," Kaiba replied. "Your focus and effort needs to be on classes and you—,"

"I'm your VP! I've run the company for you, I can handle this."

Kaiba's jaw set. "That's not the point. Right now, you have your own life to live, Mokuba. You told me that you wanted to have a life outside of KaibaCorp, so you're having it. The fact that marketing was sending you anything has already been addressed."

The trembling hands fell away, but Mokuba still lingered close, his chin touching his chest. "You're mad at me."

"No."

"You're mad that I wanted to move away from home."

A deep breath was taken in, and Kaiba held it in as he reached to touch Mokuba's face and draw his head up. The bruises were rough and patchy, turning motley colours of deep green and jaundiced yellow. Healing, but still swollen and ugly. The outside world marring his little brother, and he couldn't do anything.

Mokuba turned towards Rebecca and weakly smiled. "Could you...give us a minute? And tell Joey to wait, too, okay?"

Rebecca, stunned by the conversation, nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Just text me."

"Okay."

There was light in Mokuba's eyes as he watched Rebecca walk out. A candid smile, weak and cherubic, that fell as soon as the door shut. How had he missed it? He had seen the night he returned home and Mokuba spoke fondly of it, deflecting from the attack that still needed answers. Everyone, and everything, needed answers. Him. Mokuba. Joey. The company. Knowing that they needed them was one thing, but giving them was another. They weren't full answers, only half formed reasons that he couldn't put into words.

Emotions swirled in Kaiba that were disquieting. He never harboured ill-will towards Mokuba, but for the last few months, he hadn't felt like including him on anything work related. For his sake, Kaiba thought, and that ticked most boxes.

"I'm not mad," Kaiba finally said. His hands dropped to his lap, and he glanced at a message waiting for him. "I'm letting you do what you asked. Go to school, make connections, have a life."

"I didn't mean exclude me," Mokuba said. "I just wanted to change things up. And I thought you needed change, too."

"Change?" Kaiba snorted.

"Yeah, you know, like you're doing now. You're about to move into your own place with Joey! I'd been telling you to do that forever but you didn't. Now I'm gone for a semester and suddenly it happens!"

"One has nothing to do with the other."

"I think it does; I think you just needed the right push," Mokuba said. "I mean, maybe you needed to see what it was like with just you and Joey, dontcha think? Having me around the house...sorta made that hard. And, I dunno, being around the house was getting old for me, too. It was just work and home...and something else to focus on is kinda nice, isn't it?" Mokuba asked, nodding his head towards the door.

"It's different."

"Have you and Joey been having fun?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. The tension slowly melted from him. "None of your business."

"See! You are. I bet you have a Christmas surprise for him too, don't you?"

Looking off, Kaiba offered nothing of an answer but thought about the gift that Joey had put under the tree, wanting to open it on Christmas Day instead. Mokuba chuckled.

"Do you have plans for Miss Hawkins?"

Mokuba shrugged. "Not really. This was all sorta last minute that I brought her," he said. "Maybe we could all plan something. You and Joey, me and Rebecca? Call it a...family Christmas? Could make things a little less sucky."

"It may."

Another cherubic smile, and Kaiba reached out to brush Mokuba's long hair behind his ear. "We both don't know how to do this, do we?" Kaiba asked.

"What?"

"You going off to school."

"It's weird, but I like it," Mokuba said.

That was all that mattered, Kaiba decided. That was the whole reason he had let Mokuba go. "Even after a fight?"

"I mean," Mokuba knocked his head back and forth. "It's...an experience, I guess. We've been through worse though, so I figure I'll bounce back. Probably with a different roommate."

The dreamy inflection made more questions than it answered, but that was for later. "You tell me first next time."

"I will."

"You don't tell Joseph to hide things from me."

"I won't," Mokuba said. "But only if you make a promise to me. Tell me things first, too. Tell me that you're not feeling well. That's important."

With reluctance, Kaiba nodded. Missing information was the price of distance. It didn't devalue their trust, they just had to reset its parameters as they grew and changed. Change was a beautiful, terrible thing. "I will."

"Good." Mokuba clasped Kaiba's hand. "And don't be mad at Joey, okay? He seems freaked out enough as it is about all this. This isn't his fault."

"That's a separate issue," Kaiba said. "He and I will handle it."

"Loudly."

Kaiba smirked. "Very possibly."

He could tell Joey had been ill at ease the entire time, but he couldn't find the right words for it. It wasn't anger, just hurt, and there was no reason to yell at him when he hadn't fully evaluated his feelings. It was hard to discern anything between a throbbing head or an aching body. He felt listless, but aware that something was emotionally wrong with him. As if he was fighting with himself.

The door opened, and Kaiba raised his head excepting Joey or Rebecca, maybe even Yugi or any of the friends. Instead, a woman in a white coat swept in, with Rebecca and Joey tensely following her.

Joey took the spot to Kaiba's right and held his hand.

"Well?" Kaiba asked.

The doctor was tight lipped, stern, and looked over everyone for a moment before landing back on Kaiba and forcing a taut smile on her face. "Based on our findings it seems you have a rather severe case of anemia going on. Likely brought on by the bleeding. Your...," she paused and looked to Joey, "partner mentioned that it has happened several times."

"It has."

"Decreased red bloods and lack of oxygen have caused the fainting spells. The history says you've been very tired recently, and you're very pale as it is, it's very possible you've had this for years and it's finally rearing it's head."

"So it's...just the anemia?" Mokuba asked.

"We're fairly certain."

While Mokuba smiled warmly, Joey seemed far less convinced and was playing with Kaiba's hand before asking: "Ya runnin' any other tests, jus' to be safe?"

"Of course," she said. "We're looking at other possible avenues, but for right now we don't think it's anything much more severe."

"So that...that covers everything. Not wantin' t' eat?"

Mokuba's brows furrowed. "He never eats."

"I'm jus'...I'm jus' coverin' all the bases," Joey said. Kaiba squeezed his hand tightly, warning him to be careful with his words before letting go. He was just as uneasy by the woman's answers, and her leering gaze, as Joey was. It felt too simple. But then, some answers were. If nothing else, he would have all results necessary to compare to other people who were supposedly sick near the factory. All in good time.

—

It didn't take long for Kaiba to talk his way out of the hospital. They had advised he stay until the rest of the tests came back with results, but he urged them otherwise, giving them the information of his own medical staff and having them forward any information regarding the tests to Isono.

Really, Joey knew that Kaiba just wanted to be at home.

There was something about him that had to be uncomfortable with being under someone else's microscope. It was weakness, one that he didn't want anyone else to catch wind of.

Once again, Joey was in charge of trying to make Kaiba rest while still feeling the unease of an unspoken argument. This time, however, he had Mokuba at his back to give puppy-dog eyes and force Kaiba to bed for the early part of the day. It didn't stop him from working on whatever had his rapt attention, but Joey was more than happy to be there for him, even if they didn't speak.

But as dusk turned into night, and the house grew dim and quiet, Joey wandered into the bedroom and sat on the foot of the bed while Kaiba, for once, was dozing off. He didn't want to wake him. Slowly, he eased onto the other side of the bed and laid with him, resting a warm palm over the chilled back of Kaiba's hand and stroking it. Soon, there were fingers stroking back.

"Sorry," Joey whispered.

"Mm."

"I'll let ya sleep."

"What time is it?"

"Late," he said and looked to the digital clock. "Eleven forty somethin'."

Kaiba roused, but didn't fully get up, instead bracing his back against the headboard and rolling his shoulders. He looked fragile, as if the wrong move would crack him into a million pieces. It made Joey even more careful when embracing him, though Kaiba didn't fight it, and he craned his neck when Joey began kissing down it.

"Talk to me," Joey said.

"It's almost Christmas."

"Not like that."

Kaiba closed his eyes, and Joey leaned against him, pressing a hand to his chest and feeling him breathe in and out. Slow, steady, measured. Doing everything to keep up the façade.

"What do you want, Joseph?"

"I dunno. I want ya to yell at me or whatever the fuck's on your mind right now, 'cause you’re bein' weird and it's scarin' the hell outta me. Are ya even in there?" Joey asked. He lifted up enough to look Kaiba in the eye when the executive slowly drifted towards him. "I know you're mad at me for Mokuba. Ya don't gotta pretend you ain't."

"You two are conspiring against me," Kaiba said, massaging his temples. "I’m not angry at either one of you."

"Then what is it. Ya ain't tellin' me nothin' but expectin' me to get it."

"Then I gave you too much credit to understand," Kaiba scoffed. He leaned forward, dislodging Joey from his shoulder as he swung his legs over the bed. "Anger, frustration, and disappointment are very different things."

"Disappointment?"

The question rung hollow, and Joey tried to figure it out piece-by-piece. Kaiba dressed in a navy silk robe, finding it tight before heading towards the door. Joey hadn't noticed he was so lost in thought, but he was quick to get up and follow Kaiba out the door and down to the main floor of the house.

"What the hell ya mean disappointment?" Joey asked.

"Must I get a dictionary?"

"Nah, ya got one in your head. Spell it out."

"D-I-S..."

Joey stepped in front of Kaiba. "Not like that, ya bastard. You know what I mean. Tell me. Don't let me just 'figure it out' 'cause there's clearly somethin' I'm missin' here."

Though he simmered in anger, there was a quiet yearning in his voice not much different than sadness. He was gnawing on his lip as he thought about how he had misinterpreted Kaiba's quiet; Kaiba had never been disappointed, just angry. Which said a lot about his reaction. He wanted Joey to feel bad and knew exactly how to do it.

"You didn't tell me about Mokuba."

Joey shrugged. "Ya didn't answer the phone for me t' tell ya."

"Would you actually have told me? Or would you have followed his promise?" Kaiba asked as he brushed by. Joey was still for a few seconds, convincing himself that yeah, he was going to tell Kaiba. Except given the days and opportunities he'd had, he didn't fess up.

"What do ya want me t' say, Seto?"

Joey was a few paces behind Kaiba, standing dead centre in the living room. The kaleidoscopic lights bounced around, creating an ethereal glow that that managed to shift in their melancholy.

Over the course of several days, more presents had shown up under the tree, all in shimmering wrapping paper with neat little bows. Some left by Yugi and Serenity, others addressed from Mokuba. To Mokuba. The little gift to him was still nudged in the far back.

"Nothing, Joseph. You don't have to say anything."

Yelling was easy. It was what they did. They argued about dinner, about terrible schedules, about too much time apart or too much time together. About terrible habits like leaving clothes on the floor or leaving bed early to take a shower. They yelled. They got too close, they cooled off, they came back over coffee, or a movie, or an almost on-time dinner.

Quiet was difficult.

"Merry-Friggin'-Christmas," Joey said. He stepped up beside Kaiba and looped his pinky in Kaiba's. "If I woulda told ya what happened then he woulda been mad, and then you prolly woulda been thinkin' I told him stuff after you said not to an'...an' I don't wanna be that person, a'right? Ya ask me to trust you with your secret, and I will. Same goes with him. You all need t' talk, because I can't be Fort Knox."

"We have."

Joey paused. Kaiba's tired eyes were bright in golden Christmas glow. "Have ya?"

"Some. Not all, not until I know everything," Kaiba said. He moved them chest to chest, taking Joey's other hand and setting it on his shoulder.

"Well ya should. You're bein' an' idiot." Joey put Kaiba's hand on his hip.

"Hmph."

An old clock, lost somewhere in the house, rung at midnight, chiming as the couple began to move in gentle squares across the rug, narrowly missing the coffee table and the chairs as they danced, and as Joey tried not to look at his feet. He was doing better than the last gala they attended, though Kaiba wasn't moving as quickly.

"You haven't opened your present," Kaiba said.

"Nah, I ain't. It's barely Christmas now, I figure we can wait til Moki gets up," Joey rested his chin on Kaiba's shoulder. "'Sides, ain't had a chance to get ya anything that wasn't one of the White Elephant gifts."

All they needed was the warm crackle of a fire, or a gentle old tune with a record scratching to make this feel more homey. Joey was happy to envelope Kaiba in warmth and love, even if he was still heartbroken in disappointment. They just had to move on and rebuild from there. Likely with less yelling, because it wasn't all that healthy to begin with. The playfully antagonist banter would always there, anyways. But it was weird to feel like thing were actually moving and changing.

"All I need is for you to be better," Joey said. "Or for us t' move into the apartment soon. Those are good gifts."

"You're still opening this gift, pup."

Joey sighed. The music must have been coming to a stop, because Kaiba had slowed down, but they were still bobbing back and forth. If they could live in one moment forever, he had a feeling this might be one of them, depending on how the next days or weeks developed. If the sickness didn't number them; if disappointment didn't fracture them.

Even then, Joey considered as they stood still, they could figure it out.

Kaiba slipped away and grabbed the present from behind the tree, holding it out to Joey again. "Open it."

"But..."

"Joseph, just open it."

Joey shook the box again, hearing the rattling. Something metal, something small that had room to move around in the box. So it wasn't some kind of jewellery, that was more secure. He unwound the bow and peeled back one corner, suppressing a smile as Kaiba guided him to the couch to sit down.

The box was plain, white, and missing any distinguishing markings. Not even a KC logo, like Kaiba had quickly stolen it from the corporate building in a rush. Inside were little tufts of red tulle that almost hide the gift beneath it.

A key.

Specifically, a very elegant gold key with a grand design on the head, with something silver dangling off the head.

"Fancy thing," Joey said, flipping it between his fingers. It didn't have typical key edges. They were clear, like glass, with a little light flickering in it. "Is this really a key...?"

"It is. A high tech one for the apartment."

A small 'o' formed, with surprise colouring Joey's face as he began to laugh and lean into Kaiba's shoulder. "Ya got the keys."

"More than that. The apartment has been revamped already. The last of the adjustments are being made to the security, but the locks were already made. This is your key."

His nose buried in the thin silk robe. "It's helluva nice thing. I like it. Can't wait to actually get all moved in. Guess I'll get ya a nice new keychain or somethin'. That's gonna be your gift, I think. Oh! Maybe matching ones."

"Now you're being ridiculous."

"Am not. C'mon, it'll be nice. We got somethin' for the both of us."

A low timbre laugh vibrated in Kaiba's chest as Joey continued to look over the key, raising it up and letting the Christmas lights turn it into a disco ball. "There's more," Kaiba said.

"Huh? Where?" Joey asked, inspecting the inside of the box and pulling out the tulle.

"Not in there."

Joey furrowed his brows and looked back at the key, and at the silver dangling from a short piece of twine. Not a key ring, he realised, because it was too thick. His finger slipped through it, finding it a little tight, but almost there. As he inspected it, they key brushing against his palm, the chipped diamond and ruby became more obvious, dotting one full side of the ring. Simple, maybe a little ostentatious, but no more than Joey would have allowed.

"I'm...gonna have to find a really, really nice keychain..."he croaked.

"Maybe."

"Like. A really good one."

"I assume you accept then?"

Joey's mouth went dry, and he never really thought about how he would react to this. For a long time, he thought he'd be the one to get down on one knee and propose, especially in the time he was figuring himself out with Mai. The only thing he had to feel was excitement if someone said yes, but being on the other end was so utterly unfathomable. It was so comfortably numb, maybe muted because of everything swirling around them.

"What uh...what flowers do ya want?" Joey asked.

Kaiba's expression softened and he sighed, wrapping an arm around Joey's waist and bringing him in close. "Merry Christmas, Joseph."

Swallowing thickly, Joey nodded. "Yeah. Merry Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sap. I’m a cheese. I like fluff, and this Is my schitck. But this clearly isn’t the end.....hm. 
> 
> Tell me what you think!


End file.
